Briana Williams Clocks Season Best at Pure Athletics Global Invitational as Caribbean Athletes Impress in Florida

Written by Leighton Levy. Posted in Athletics. | 25 May 2025 | 1270 Views
Tags: Briana Williams, Leah Anderson, Pure Athletics Global Invitational, Ryiem Forde, Aasia Laurencin

Jamaican sprinter Briana Williams signalled a stirring return to form on Saturday night with a season-best 11.08 seconds in the women’s 100m final at the PURE Athletics Global Invitational, held at the National Training Centre in Clermont, Florida.

Coached by the iconic John Smith, Williams, who was the second fastest qualifier from the preliminary round with 11.10 (+3.0 m/s) behind Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (11.00), produced one of her best-executed races in recent times in the final, outdueling Ta Lou-Smith (11.20) and Germany’s Gina Lückenkemper (11.29) to win her heat and emerge as the overall winner based on time across the three-section final.

The 23-year-old Nike athlete’s performance comes just weeks ahead of the Jamaica National Championships in late June, setting her up as a serious contender to reclaim a spot on the national team after a quiet start to the season.

In other standout Caribbean performances, Leah Anderson of Jamaica stormed to victory in the women’s 400m, clocking 51.63 to finish comfortably ahead of American Kennedy Simon (52.46). It marked a strong early-season statement from the Atalanta NYC athlete, who is eyeing a place on Jamaica’s Olympic team in the one-lap event.

On the men’s side, Ryiem Forde continued his steady form with a confident win in the 100m, posting 10.25 (-1.1 m/s) to beat a strong field including Kendal Williams (10.32) and Udodi Onwuzurike (10.32). Forde, who was part of Jamaica’s 4x100m team at last year’s World Championships, continues to build momentum heading into the summer.

In the men’s 200m, Jamaican sprinters also made their presence felt. Demar Francis ran 20.73 (-0.3 m/s) to take second overall, while Shevioe Reid followed closely in third with 20.78 (-0.8 m/s).

In the women’s 200m, veteran Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith doubled back from the 100m to win in 23.19 (-2.5 m/s), with Jamaican Yanique Dayle finishing third in 23.84.

Elsewhere, Aasia Laurencin, representing Saint Lucia, impressed in the women’s 100m hurdles with a season-best 12.88 (-0.2 m/s) to win ahead of Evonne Britton (12.95).

The performances of Williams, Anderson, Forde, and others underscore a growing wave of Caribbean athletes hitting top form as the Paris 2024 Olympic season intensifies. For Williams in particular, Saturday’s race may mark the turning point she's been working toward.