Britain’s teenage sprint sensation Jodie Williams knows her own mind, and she is determined not to become another talented junior to fall into the ranks of also-rans.
Williams racked up a brilliant 151-race winning streak culminating in winning 100 junior title in Canada last summer, before missing out on the 200m title for a rare loss.
The 17-year-old has won world titles at both 100m and 200m though, and is already seen as a real medal prospect for London 2012 next year, although she is being ultra-careful not to start counting her chickens just yet.
Williams makes her senior debut in the 60m at the European Indoor Championships in Paris this weekend, and she is fully aware that it will be a tough road ahead to translate her junior form onto the big stage.
“I don’t want to be another name along with the list of juniors who have fizzled out too soon. I want to be the name that breaks through,” said Williams.
Focus
“In a way it’s quite easy to focus on here and now and not get too carried away with everything. I’ve got plenty of time to compete, I’m still young and having fun with it.
“I don’t really think about it too much. It’s not something you should think ‘Oh, it might be me as well’ about. I just concentrate on what I’m doing. I’m confident in what I’m doing. I think I’m making the right choices and just sticking with what I know.”
Williams has already made a big career decision in turning down a place in the 4x100m relay team for this summer’s World Championships, saying she would not be ready to tackle a full senior outdoor championships.
That decision could mean her first real major outdoor championships being the Olympics in London, but she is comfortable she has made the correct decision.
“Me, my dad and my coach (Mike McFarlane) sat down and talked about it and all decided it just didn’t come at the right time, I wasn’t quite ready to step up to seniors outdoors yet,” added Williams.
“I’m going to stick to that decision and just stick to my own age group this year I think. If possible I’d like to run a few more senior competitions (Diamond League meetings) this year, maybe locally, England and Europe, to get used to the senior environment a bit more, but I don’t want to make too big a jump up, I want to do it a bit more gradually.”
Comfortable
Williams has been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable she has been in the build-up to her first major senior event in Paris.
“It’s been good,” she added. “I thought it would be a lot different but it’s not that much different to any junior competitions. It’s the same sort of environment, it’s just different people really. I’m sharing with (800m runner) Marilyn Okoro which is nice, she’s really lovely. She’s looking after me.
“I think I’m less nervous if anything because I don’t feel too much pressure on me. Competing at junior competitions I’m there at the top, expected to perform, whereas here it’s my first senior competition, I’m not the top. I’m just going to go and enjoy it and see how it goes.
“I’m aiming to get to the final and then anything can happen from there I guess. It’s anyone’s race.”
Veteran sprinter Dwain Chambers will be challenging for men’s 60m gold, and after all the experience, both good and bad, he has gathered over the years he has been trying to help out the emerging star.
“We’ve had our little chat,” said Chambers. “She’s in good hands and she’s got a lot of people around her who are open and available to help advise her.
“She’s more than capable of doing well. She’s a bright star and she’ll do well. If not here, this is not the be all and end all of her career. This is just her first step to senior success. I think she’s going to do really well.
“She’s very calm and relaxed and that’s a good attribute.”
