Danielle Williams says it was an awesome feeling as she ended Tobi Amusan’s quest to defend her World Athletics Championships 100 metres hurdles title.
Amusan was favourite in Thursday’s final in Budapest after storming to the title in Eugene last year while setting a world record of 12.12 seconds.
The Nigerian star was however blighted by an anti-doping violation charge that had her provisionally suspended going into this year’s championships until it was overturned just few days to the start of the competition.
Amusan was far from her best this time around as she finished in sixth place while Williams won ahead of Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and America’s Kendra Harrison.
It was the Jamaican’s first gold medal since the 2015 championships in Beijing and third medal overall after taking bronze in 2019 in Doha.
“It is awesome,” Williams said. “This is what every athlete works for all year long, 11 months out of the year, and I am so, so happy and thankful that I was the one who got to go to tonight.
“It absolutely is (special). I mean, I’ve been through so many low moments just to get back to this point. And so, it’s all worth it.”
All the glory goes to Jamaica ????
8 year after her first #WorldAthleticsChamps 100m hurdles gold, Danielle Williams returns to the top of the podium with 12.43 ???? pic.twitter.com/aqgFJe6c8C
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 24, 2023
Williams is also proud as she won Jamaica their first gold medal at the ongoing championships after the Caribbean nation failed do so in the men’s and women’s 100 metres.
“Oh, absolutely. We are a proud country and we all want to win, and usually the 100m kicks us off with the gold and that didn’t happen. And so I’m just so happy I was the one.“
