Williams prepares for her second Olympic semifinal

“This might as well be a final, the way how I imagine this is going to be,” Barbados’ Sada Williams said, ahead of her quest to get into the medal round of the women’s 400m for the first time at the Olympic Games. Williams earned her way into Wednesday’s semifinals by running 50.45 in the opening round of competition on Monday.

The Commonwealth Games champion and Games record holder finished behind Natalia Kacmarek of Poland and Roxana Gomez of Cuba in Heat 3. The top three from each heat advanced to Wednesday.

“I honestly got to watch over the race, but thinking back I don’t think it was too bad,” Williams said. “I got to see how the first part of my race was. My coach had a specific race plan in mind, so I was trying to execute that rather than focus on making it in the top three, because I knew I would make it in the top three and make it to the next round.

“It felt comfortable, but because I haven’t run since the Jamaica Nationals (at the end of June) there was just a lot of lactic (acid). But it felt comfortable, regardless.”

Back in June, Williams’ run of 49.80 was her fastest race. With a long layoff from running, she was satisfied with Monday’s results.

“I think it’s a good place to be,” she insisted. “Seeing my last race, the 49.80, was in the last week of June, and I ran 50.6, was it. So I think it’s a good place to be, and I know in my semifinals, I will go way faster.”

The two-time World Championships bronze medallist and Tokyo 2020 semifinalist said that she felt that she could have finished higher in her heat, and posted a quicker time. She said that she was expecting MVP coach Paul Francis to give her a bit of a scolding for not going to her potential, but she achieved her primary goal.

“So mostly my coach wanted me, from the 150, the last 150, to really run home. I don’t think I ran as hard as he would have probably wanted me. I think I was just doing enough to make sure I was in the top three. I do believe my first 200 was a bit too slow, so I’m going to have to rewatch the race and talk to my coach and see what he says.”

Already having been to the Olympic semifinals three years ago, Williams is determined to go that extra step. She pointed out that her coach has been working to consolidate her strength, which is her raw speed. This, she said, is why she has been running the 200 more.

With two global medals already to her credit, Williams also expressed her hope that she is not forced to give too much in the semifinal, so that she can save something for later.

In the third and final semifinal, at 2:45 p.m. Barbados time on Wednesday, the 26-year-old Bajan will be hoping to take a top two spot to advance by position. Failing that, she must run one of the two fastest times behind the position qualifiers.

Once again, William will be going up against Kaczmarek and Gomez. Kaczmarek is the number two ranked quarter-miler in the world this year. Williams is fifth ranked.

The very nippy Kendall Ellis of the USA is in Lane 1, Miranda Coetze of South Africa in Lane. Then comes Williams in 3, and Gomez in 4. Amber Anning from Great Britain occupies Lane 5, and Kaczmarek 6. Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams and Mexico’s Paola Moran round out the field.

Williams is one of only four women in that heat who has run under 50 seconds this year.

The Bajan champion has spent the better part of two days reviewing her race tactics, nursing her sore hamstrings, and scheming to advance into the Olympic final. Going into Wednesday, she is one step closer to possibly becoming the island’s first Olympic medal winner.
(TF)