Lauryn Williams

Last updated

Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams Osaka07.jpg
Personal information
Born (1983-09-11) September 11, 1983 (age 41)
Rochester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater University of Miami
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight127 lb (58 kg; 9.1 st)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
ClubFlorida
Turned pro2004
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 2nd Athens 2004– 100 metres
World finals1st Helsinki 2005– 100 metres
Highest world ranking2
Personal best(s)100m- 10.88
200m- 22.27
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2012 London 4×100 m relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2004 Athens 100 meters
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2005 Helsinki 100 meters
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2005 Helsinki 4x100 m relay
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2007 Osaka 4x100 m relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2007 Osaka 100 meters
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Moscow 60 meters
World Athletics Final
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Monaco 100 meters
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2005 Monaco 100 meters
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2002 Kingston 100 meters
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Kingston 4x100 m relay
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2003 Santo Domingo 100 meters
Women's bobsleigh
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Sochi Two-woman
Updated on February 19, 2014
Lauryn Williams speaking at the USA Track & Field national meeting, December 2014 LaurynWilliams.jpg
Lauryn Williams speaking at the USA Track & Field national meeting, December 2014

Lauryn Williams (born September 11, 1983) is an American sprinter and bobsledder. [1] She was the gold medalist in the 100 meter dash at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2007 World Championships, and 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She won a silver medal in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Contents

A World Junior Champion in 2002, she went on to win the 100 m at the 2003 Pan American Games and claimed the NCAA title over the distance for the University of Miami the following year. She has also featured as part of the American 4×100 meter relay team, winning gold medals at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships and at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Williams is one of six athletes to have won a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympic games, as well as the first American woman to do so. [2] [3]

Career

Williams was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania and raised in suburban Pittsburgh and Detroit. She currently resides in suburban Pittsburgh. She holds her high school records for the 100, 200m, long jump and 4x100 meters relay. [4] She ran for The Wings of Moon Track Club founded by Coach Rubin Carter based in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb near Pittsburgh. She was a star with the new club and qualified for the National Junior Olympics.

College

She attended the University of Miami, where she competed on the track team and graduated in 2004. [4] She was inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the university's highest honor.

Track career

Williams was a part of the 4x100 meter relay team at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, where she anchored the American team with Angela Williams, Chryste Gaines and Inger Miller in their heat. She did not run in the final.

Later that season, she participated in the 2003 Pan American Games in the 100 metre event. She went on to claim gold in a time of 11.12, followed closely by Angela Williams and Liliana Allen.

Williams is a silver medalist in the 100 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a 4-time medalist at the World Championships in Athletics, where she won (together with Angela Daigle, Muna Lee and Me'Lisa Barber) a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay in 2005 and 2007, as well as gold and silver in the 100m in 2005 and 2007 editions of the meet.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Williams ran the third leg for the women's 4x100 relay team in the final. Marion Jones, who ran the second leg, and Williams failed to complete the baton exchange within the 20-meter passing zone, resulting in disqualification of the U.S. team.

In the Beijing Olympics of 2008, Williams ran the anchor leg in the relay, but a mix-up in the semi-final with team-mate Torri Edwards caused Edwards to drop the baton. Williams picked up the baton to finish in last place, but the USA was disqualified because she had had to run outside her lane in order to retrieve the baton. At the individual 100 metres sprint she placed 2nd in her first round heat behind Christine Arron in a time of 11.38 to advance to the second round. There she improved her time to 11.07 seconds and placed 2nd again, this time behind Kerron Stewart. With the third time in her semi final heat behind Shelly-Ann Fraser and Muna Lee she qualified for the final in 11.10 seconds. In the final she came to 11.03, finishing in fourth place, behind three runners from Jamaica. [1]

Williams took third place in the 100 m at the 2009 US Championships and as a result she qualified for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, her third consecutive championships. [5] A week before the World Championships began, she was part of a United States 4 x 100 m relay team that ran the fastest women's sprint relay in twelve years. Williams, Allyson Felix, Muna Lee and Carmelita Jeter finished with a time of 41.58 seconds, bringing them to eighth on the all-time list. [6]

She spent the entirety of 2010 away from competitive athletics and, among other things, she worked in the athletic department at the University of Miami. She returned to competition in 2011. [7]

In the 2012 Olympics in London, Lauryn Williams ran the anchor leg of 4 x 100 meter relay for USA in the qualification round. The team went on to win gold and earn a new world record with a time of 40.82

2014 Winter Olympics

On January 19, 2014 Williams won her first bobsled gold medal in a World Cup event at Igls, Austria. She was later selected to be a part of the U.S. Olympic 2014 women's bobsled team. [8]

On February 19, 2014 Williams along with Elana Meyers won the silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Their first run was a time of 57.26, a track record. Their second run was 57.63, the third was 57.69 and fourth was 58.13 for a total of 3:50.71, a difference of +0.10 from first place, just edged out by Canada 1.

Williams is one of six Olympians, three Americans to win medals at the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. [9] Eddie Eagan won Gold as a boxer in 1920 and on the bobsled in 1932. Eddy Alvarez won a Silver Medal in 2014 as a speedskater and another Silver Medal in Tokyo for baseball. [9]

After the Olympics

Williams later became a certified financial planner, passing the exam in 2017. [10]

Major achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 1st100m 11.33 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
2nd4×100m relay 43.66
2003 Pan American Games Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1st100m11.12 secs
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece2nd100m10.96 secs
World Athletics Final Monaco, Monaco 3rd100m11.21 secs
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland1st100m10.93 secs
World Athletics Final Monaco, Monaco 3rd100m11.04 secs
2006 World Indoor Championships Moscow, Russia2nd60m7.01 secs
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan2nd100m11.01 secs
2012 Olympic Games London, Great Britain 1st4x100m relayCompeted in heats but not in final.
2014 Olympic Games Sochi, Russia2nd2 Woman bobsleigh3:50.71

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay</span>

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 26 to 27. The sixteen teams competed in a two-heat qualifying round in which the first three teams from each heat, together with the next two fastest teams, were given a place in the final race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muriel Hurtis-Houairi</span> French sprinter

Muriel Hurtis-Houairi is a French track and field athlete. She came to prominence in 2002 when she won the 200 m gold medals at both the European Indoor Championships and the European Athletics Championships. The following year she added the World Indoor title and won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and a gold in the 4×100 metres relay with France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allyson Felix</span> American track and field athlete (born 1985)

Allyson Michelle Felix is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. She specialized in the 200 meters from 2003 to 2013, then gradually shifted to the 400 meters later in her career. At 200 meters, Felix is the 2012 Olympic champion, a three-time world champion (2005–2009), a two-time Olympic silver medalist, and the 2011 world bronze medalist. At 400 meters, she is the 2015 world champion, 2011 world silver medalist, 2016 Olympic silver medalist, 2017 world bronze medalist, and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist. Across the short distances, Felix is a ten-time U.S. national champion.

Dennis Allen Mitchell is an American former college and international track and field athlete, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 4 x 100 meters relay race at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Williams (sprinter)</span> American track and field athlete, sprinter, Olympic gold medalist

Bernard Rollen Williams III is an American male former track and field sprinter and winner of a gold medal in 4 × 100-meter relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was the 200-meter dash silver medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 100-meter dash silver medalist at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He also won relay gold at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and was the 100 m gold medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tianna Bartoletta</span> American track and field athlete

Tianna Bartoletta is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the long jump and short sprinting events. She is a two-time Olympian with three gold medals. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she placed fourth in the 100m race then won her first gold by leading off the world record-setting 4 × 100 m relay team. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won two more golds, first with a personal best to win the long jump then again leading off the victorious 4 × 100 m relay team.

Angela Williams is an American athlete. Williams attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 2002. She won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best female track and field competitor in 2002, which qualified her as a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded to the best overall female collegiate athlete in 12 sports. She was named the winner of that award also in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Frater</span> Jamaican sprinter

Michael Frater O.D is a Jamaican retired sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muna Lee (athlete)</span> American sprinter

Muna Lee is a retired American sprinter who currently serves as an Assistant Coach:Sprints/Hurdles for the UAB Blazers Track & Field program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lashinda Demus</span> American hurdler (born 1983)

Lashinda Demus is a retired American hurdler who specialized in the 400 meter hurdles, an event in which she was the 2011 world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, becoming the first woman from the United States to win the Olympic 400 m hurdles title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmelita Jeter</span> American sprinter (born 1979)

Carmelita Jeter is a retired American sprinter, who competed in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. For over a decade, between 2009 and 2021, Jeter was called the "Fastest woman alive" after running a 100 m personal best of 10.64 seconds at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix. In the 100 m, she was the 2011 world champion and the 2012 Olympic silver medalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerron Stewart</span> Jamaican sprinter

Kerron Stewart is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She is the 2008 Jamaican national champion in the 100 m clocking 10.80s. She defeated World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown in the process and now is the 2008 Summer Olympics silver medalist after she tied with Sherone Simpson in a time of 10.98s. She also earned a bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics with a time of 22.00s. She was born in Kingston and retired after the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Thompson (sprinter)</span> Trinidadian athlete

Richard "Torpedo" Thompson is a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 100 metres. His personal best of 9.82 seconds, set in June 2014, was one of the top ten fastest of all time, and a national record. In the 200 meters, he has the fourth fastest time by a Trinidad and Tobago athlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosângela Santos</span> Brazilian sprinter (born 1990)

Rosângela Cristina Oliveira Santos is an American-born Brazilian track and field sprint athlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myriam Soumaré</span> French sprinter

Myriam Soumaré is a retired French track and field sprinter. She announced her retirement from athletics in February 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olesya Povh</span> Ukrainian sprinter (born 1987)

Olesya Povh is a Ukrainian former sprint athlete who specialized in the 100 metres. Her personal best times include 11.08 seconds in the 100 m, achieved in June 2012. She is an Olympic Games bronze medalist, World Championships bronze medalist, European Championships gold and silver medalist, and European Indoor Championships gold medalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Brown (sprinter)</span> Canadian sprinter (b. 1992)

Aaron Brown is a Canadian sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. As part of Canada's 4×100 m relay team, he is the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, 2020 Olympic silver medalist, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and the 2022 World champion. Brown has also won two World bronze medals as part of Canada's 4×100 m relay teams in 2013 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamile Samuel</span> Dutch sprinter

Jamile Samuel is a Dutch athlete sprinter, who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. She won three bronze medals at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, thus establishing herself as the third-fastest female runner under the age of 20 in the world. She won a gold medal with the Dutch women's 4 × 100 m relay team at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desirèe Henry</span> British sprinter (born 1995)

Desirèe Henry is a British sprinter who competes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She won an Olympic silver medal in the women's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2016 Rio Games, and a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendon Rodney</span> Canadian sprinter (born 1992)

Brendon Rodney is a Canadian sprinter. As a member of the Canadian men's relay team, he is a three-time Olympic medallist in the 4 × 100 metres relay, taking gold in 2024, silver in 2020 and bronze in 2016. He is also the 2022 World champion and 2015 World bronze medallist in the same event.

References

  1. 1 2 "Athlete biography: Lauryn Williams". Beijing2008.cn. Archived from the original on August 10, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Williams gets silver; first U.S. Woman to win medals in Winter and Summer Olympics". Archived from the original on February 26, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Lauryn Williams eyes Olympic history". ESPN . February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Lauryn Williams" . Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  5. ↑ Morse, Parker (June 27, 2009). Jeter and Rodgers take 100m titles in Eugene – US Champs, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on June 30, 2009.
  6. ↑ Wenig, Jörg (August 8, 2009). US quartet blasts 41.58 in the 4x100 as Wlodarczyk improves to 77.20m in Cottbus Archived August 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . IAAF. Retrieved on August 9, 2009.
  7. ↑ Lee, Kirby (April 24, 2011). Wells and Williams continue comebacks at Kansas Relays. IAAF. Retrieved on April 29, 2011.
  8. ↑ Craig Davis (January 19, 2014). "Lauryn Williams gets first victory, place on U.S. bobsled team". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Eddy Alvarez: Chasing History". August 6, 2021.
  10. ↑ Vega, Nicolas (August 21, 2024). "This Olympic gold medalist went from $200,000/year sponsorship to $12/hour internship: 'It was a perfect fit for me'" . Retrieved August 27, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.