Williams: Everything happens for a reason
BIRMINGHAM, England: KIMBERLEY WILLIAMS finished second in the Triple Jump at the Birmingham leg of the IAAF Diamond League with a distance of 14.44m on Sunday. Her teammate, Shanieka Ricketts, placed sixth with a distance of 14.00m. Having failed to reach the final of the IAAF World Championships earlier this month, Williams told The Gleaner: “I am pretty pleased and wish this had come a week ago in London. I really struggled in London. I just had a bad meet, and today I was determined to put it behind me and focus on a new task at hand.” She added: “I just believe that everything happens for a reason. God gave me my talent and I am just using it. If it does not go the way He wants it to go, I need to understand that is not His plan. My coach told me to keep the faith. If things to do not go right, I know that tomorrow is another day.”
On what is next for the rest of this season, she said: “My last meeting is Zurich. I really would love to finish the season with a personal best or season’s best. We will see. I feel good and just need to execute it.”
NOT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH
When asked how difficult it was to switch from a Diamond League to a World Championships, Williams said: “It is not difficult. They are the same girls. For me when I did not make the final, I was like, ‘What just happened?!’”
On her plans next year: “First, I have to make plans with my coach. I know we are going to do the World Indoors in Birmingham, and since we are going to do that, we might as well do the Commonwealth Games as it is just a couple of weeks after that in April. “After the Commonwealth Games, I will take a little break and see what happens. The weather here is not good. I really miss the sun. It changes really fast. It is pretty unpredictable.” The Gleaner asked Williams about Jamaica’s overall performance at the World Championships in London, which only yielded one gold medal compared to previous global meets in recent times. She said that it is what she describes as “a minor setback”. “We have been spoiled over the years,” she said. “Whatever happened in London is all in God’s plan. We just have to be patient. There are a lot of young people who play sports. I believe they will do better in the future.” On Usain Bolt’s departure from the sport, she said: “I do miss my teammate. I miss him already. He is so funny. I know that whatever he decides to do next in life, he will do to the best of his ability. He will stay connected to the track world.”
I really would love to finish the season with a personal best or season’s best. We will see. I feel good and just nee d to execute it.