Glasgow CG Diary: Great Britain’s Sprinting Renaissance, by Alex Mills

In sport we already have one pair of famous Williams’ sisters who have taken on the world and won everything both individually and together in the game of tennis. 

Now it appears another pair of athletes sharing the same name without relation, could be about to lead a British charge for speed domination.

Jodie Williams, photo by Claus Andersen

Just two years on from not even having a team in the women’s 4*100m in a home Olympics, Jodie and Bianca Williams ran with experience beyond their 20 years to claim Commonwealth silver and bronze in the 200m. Capping what has been a mesmeric season of renaissance for women’s sprinting in the UK by running the two fastest times by British Athletes in a decade.

The performance appears to be just the tip of the iceberg for this super talented duo who are part of a far more extensive network of talent that ranges from the more experienced athletes who are starting to peak like Aniyka Onoura and Asha Phillip, both 4^th this week in the 200 and 100 respectively, to the teenagers filled with an explosive amount of raw talent, most notably new world junior 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith, as well as Desiree Henry.

Just three days before last night’s glorious race, Phillip ran a personal best to finish an agonising 4^th in the 100m final where, Bianca Williams the only English athlete to double up, came 6^th. 

Such is the change in perspective from the athletes; it was visible that they were clearly frustrated with their performances despite finishing behind 3 athletes owning a vast array of track medals as well as possessing season’s bests faster than any Britain has ever run.

A huge percentage of that disappointment will of course be caused by personal ambition, however the increased struggle make the team, definitely adds further value and pressure to performing well each time they put on the national vest.

Training at the same venue (But with different coaches) on a daily basis the Williams’s have become accustomed to each other’s performance and personality, both on and off the track, meaning that although their rivalry still ensues during race time, a friendship has formed away from it. This not only ensures that the good and the bad times can be shared together in the individual events but it also improves Great Britain’s relay chances. If you are good friends with your team mate to whom you are relaying the baton, a certain level of extra value can be placed on ensuring you do the best you can for each other.

That bond appears to stretch even further than those two, with the whole team united in a way that sadly the men appear not to be. After previously running out of solutions to fix the constant problem of the baton change, perhaps this can be the glue that resolves the issue?

The first chance to test just how far they have come as a team will be in the relay finals this weekend, before a trip to Zurich in a week’s time for the European Championships presents the opportunity of further individual and team medals and a chance to see just where they stand within the continent, before preparations begin for an assault on the world’s best at Beijing 2015. 

Something Bianca says there are all working hard to achieve: “We’re all upping our game because we know next year at the world champs we’re all going to be on the podium we’ll all be there in the finals chasing those Jamaicans and Americans down, because we know we can do it!”

Within those preparations there will be some tough decisions to make for both the British selectors and the athletes.  For example; deciding who to pick, which event they are best suited to and also whether to risk doubling up; especially when doing so could affect their chances of even making the team for one event, let alone both. Whatever happens in the next year, it appears that the British girls know that they are going to have to work hard for their place in the team next year; which in turn will hopefully cause some even faster times to be run. Especially in the 100m where with a sub 11 second run in the next year is essential. It is all that appears to be missing so far in this excellent start to a journey that could take Britain’s women from 2012 non qualifiers to 2016 champions in Rio.