As comeback stories go, Danielle Williams’ victory in the 100m hurdles was one of the most stunning at the World Championships. It is eight years since she last won a world title – in Beijing in 2015 – and in the run-up to the final on Thursday [Aug 24] she was third in the Jamaican Championships and also her heat and semi-final in Budapest.
“When I won in 2015 it was unbelievable,” she said. “But this took a lot of hard work, a lot of years of toil and injuries and losing my confidence and battling to get back to this stage.”
In a blanket finish, Williams clocked 12.43 (-0.2) from lane one to beat Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico by one hundredth of a second with Keni Harrison of the United States a further two hundredths of a second behind in third.
World record-holder Tobi Amusan was sixth after having an anti-doping suspension for missed drugs tests overturned on the eve of the championships.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” Williams added. “I came out here knowing that I could win but I would have to give everything I had. I still don’t believe I won against such a stellar field.
“I’ve been racing these ladies all year and they have been kicking me left, right and centre. But I had such confidence in my training and my abilities that I never stopped believing.”
Camacho-Quinn said: “This final was packed with talents and I was defeated by just one hundredth of a second so I don’t have any bitter feelings.”
Harrison had run 12.24 – the equal fourth quickest time in history – in her heat and then 12.33 in her semi-final but was slightly slower in the final.
She said: “To get out on the world stage and get a medal is something to be grateful for. Next year is the Olympics and I have all the motivation in the world. I was hitting hurdles tonight but a medal is a medal and it’s been an unbelievable championships.”
Source: AW