Olympian Stacey-Ann Williams says breaking the 50-second barrier is now her primary goal after finishing second in the women’s 400m at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday night at the National Stadium.
Williams clocked 50.56 seconds, just outside her season-best of 50.37 set at the Jamaica leg of the Grand Slam Track series on April 5. She was beaten by American Lynna Irby-Jackson, who posted a season-best 50.23 to take the win, while Commonwealth champion Sada Williams of Barbados finished third in 51.65.
“Honestly, today (Saturday) was a bit disappointing,” said the 26-year-old Jamaican quarter-miler. “I wanted it to be a faster time. I also wanted to win. I came here to win, but it didn’t happen. So I’m just trusting the process and hoping that it will be better at the national trials.”
Williams has been trending in the right direction this season, bolstered by her training environment at Hurdle Mechanic in the United States. But with a lifetime best of 50.00 set on September 8, 2024, in Zagreb, Croatia, she is eager to finally dip below that mark.
“I want to break that 50 flat. Like, I’m tired of running 50-anything,” she said. “I want to go 49 now.”
One area she’s identified for improvement is her start, which she believes is holding her back from a breakthrough performance.
“I feel like I’m not as committed to the start as I should be because even today in the race, there was a bit of a gap on me,” she explained. “So I spent the entire race chasing as opposed to getting out and running my own race. But some practice will get it together.”
Williams, who trains alongside several elite 400m and 400m hurdles athletes like Nickisha Pryce and Andrennette Knight, says the daily competition is helping her maintain high standards.
“It’s much easier to train with other people for me, as opposed to just being out here doing it by myself like I was back at my old [programme],” she said.
With the Jamaican national trials fast approaching, Williams remains focused on securing an individual spot on the team and achieving a long-awaited sub-50 performance on the big stage.
Photos: Racers Grand Prix