Wason: Williams did Barbados proud

Veteran coach Harcourt Wason believes Barbadian Sada Williams should be happy with her performance, during the just concluded Commonwealth Games Scotland.

The defending women’s 400m champion and games record holder won a silver medal in Saturday’s final. It was the only medal Barbados secured during the games.

Williams clocked 50.99 seconds behind Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley, who won in 50.21 seconds. 

Reflecting on her race, Williams said she expected to win a medal and gold would have been great, but she’s happy with the silver. She explained that the race felt like her hardest 400m race of the season, given the conditions.

Wason revealed that Williams appeared to be in good form during the race, but Oakley finished better during the final 100m. The Jamaican is the second fastest woman over the distance this season.

“Oakley, who has been racing really throughout this year, had an excellent race. She was running in Lane Four and was able to judge and base her race off Sada’s and run an excellent race, but Sada, I’m sure, is happy with the silver medal, as we all are.

“The time might have been a little disappointing and way off her record which she ran four years ago, but at the end of the day, I think we have to be happy for Sada and for the silver medal that she won,” Wason said.

Race conditions were far from ideal, with competitors battling a stiff headwind that Wason believed contributed to the slower-than-expected times. 

“It seemed to have impacted her quite badly in the end, she seemed very tired so I think it really did have an impact on her and I don’t think she was able to maximise her effort in those conditions,” Wason explained.

Oakley’s season’s best time of 48.79 seconds, is second just to Marileidy Paulino’s clocking of 48.67 over 400m.

“She’s racing well and rising very quickly through the ranks and I am not sure if you saw the mixed 400m relay where she received the baton in third or fourth, but she was able to walk down those ahead of her and give Jamaica gold. I think that she is one to watch and I am sure we will see and hear a lot more about her in the future,” added.

(KH)