Jamaica s World Under-20 sprint double gold medallist Briana Williams.
Jamaica s World Under-20 sprint double gold medallist Briana Williams will start her 2021 season on Saturday, February 13 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York.
The 18-year-old Williams, who lives in the USA, is down to compete in the women s 60m dash.
Williams was scheduled to compete at the Neymour Athletics Christmas Odd Distance Track and Field Classic in Freeport, Grand Bahama in late December but was pulled out by her coach Ato Boldon, of Trinidad & Tobago.
Two other Jamaicans are scheduled to compete at the meet. They are Natoya Goule, who will compete in the women s 800m, and Kevin Rattray, who will run the men s 60m.
Boldon responds; Forbes says meet will go on Ato Boldon.
Speaking for the first time since a disagreement of sorts prevented his prized athlete from running in Freeport, Grand Bahama, foreign coach and world-renowned track analyst and sportscaster Ato Boldon, a former World Champion sprinter and Olympic medalist, fired back at meet organizer Jerial Forbes, stating that there was nothing in place to facilitate a well-structured track and field meet.
Jamaican World Under-20 Double Sprint Champion Briana Williams was one of the headliners of the Neymour Athletics Christmas Odd Distance Track and Field Classic in December. A subdued version of the classic took place on Saturday December 19, at the Grand Bahama (GB) Sports Complex in Freeport. The first day of the meet was canceled.
Archer: It’s going to be a challenge Drumeco Archer.
In-person live sports has resumed and with two track meets and a swim meet in the books already, sports appears on the upside for the immediate future.
Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) President Drumeco Archer foresees challenges with the main issue being no spectators in the stands, but he is pleased that sports has resumed.
At the BAAA Odd Distance Track and Field Classic that was held on Saturday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, safety and social distancing measures were in effect but there were no fans in the stands. Archer said that can be a challenge, as clubs look to host meets in the future.
Williams withdraws; Freeport meet goes on without her Jerell Forbes.
Citing an inability to meet reasonable requests, foreign coach, track analyst and sportscaster Ato Boldon pulled his prized possession, Briana Williams, out of the Neymour Athletics Christmas Odd Distance Track and Filed Classic in Freeport, Grand Bahama, this past weekend, dampening the overall mood of the local meet and causing it to lose some of its luster.
Boldon, of Trinidad & Tobago, a former World Champion sprinter and Olympic medalist, coaches Williams – the World Under-20 (U20) Double Sprint Champion from Jamaica and a regional star at CARIFTA the past two years. She is the darling of track and field on the junior side in the region, and was the headliner of the Neymour Athletics classic this past weekend. The duo, Boldon and Williams, arrived in Freeport on Wednesday and left on Sunday without the latter participating in the weekend event.