Jodie Williams Reflects: ‘I’ve Achieved Everything I Wanted’

The British athlete seems to be again on her stellar profession that noticed her shine on the worldwide stage within the 100m, 200m and 400m

Jodie Williams, a three-time Olympian, formally introduced her retirement final month, bringing her unimaginable profession to an in depth after one last efficiency on the Paris Olympics.

There, she helped Group GB safe a bronze medal within the girls’s 4x400m relay – a becoming finish to a journey that has spanned greater than a decade and included quite a few highs, some lows, and loads of hard-earned success.

The 31-year-old leaves the game on her personal phrases, a call she is at peace with. Her last race in Paris was not simply concerning the medal, however about having the ability to stroll away realizing she has achieved every little thing she got down to do.

 

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“It’s actually particular for me to have the ability to stroll away realizing that I’ve achieved every little thing that I needed to do and I used to be very current within the last years of my profession,” says Williams.

“I can stroll away by myself phrases fairly than damage or one thing else forcing me out, or just my physique giving up on me.

“I’ve at all times needed to verify I wrap issues up in a acutely aware manner and it looks like the fitting time for me. Mentally, the final three years have been an actual push and I’m actually happy with myself for every little thing I’ve managed to realize.”

Williams’ rise to success started when she was nonetheless a young person. She shortly made a reputation for herself as a young person, claiming world junior and youth titles over 100m.

She additionally received European junior and under-23 golds, while additionally making the entrance cowl of AW on quite a few events.

As a senior sprinter, Williams discovered her stride within the 200m, the place she would go on to say quite a few medals, together with silver on the European Championships and Commonwealth Video games.

She cemented herself because the sixth-fastest British 200m runner, clocking a private greatest of twenty-two.46 in 2014 to take second place on the European Championships, behind Dafne Schippers.

Trying again, Williams highlights her standout moments with pleasure – particularly her victories on the Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Video games, the place she received 200m silver and 400m bronze, respectively.

“My particular person Commonwealth medals had been actually particular to me. Glasgow was my first ever senior medal and I shared the rostrum with Bianca [Williams], in 2022 I obtained to share the rostrum with Victoria [Ohuruogu] and each of these moments had been very poignant moments in my profession.

“You already know, 2022 was a very robust 12 months for me. I had a very large come down in 2021 and my physique went haywire and I didn’t handle to get loads of coaching achieved in any respect. It was an enormous push and I took loads of dangers to get myself to that stage so the medal was very particular to me.”

One of the vital pivotal moments in Williams’ profession got here when she made the swap from the 100m and 200m to concentrate on the 400m. It wasn’t a straightforward resolution, nevertheless it proved to be a defining one.

“I at all times knew that I had the engine for 400m’s however I’m a really passionate individual and I’m solely going to go for one thing if it’s within the occasion I like,” says Williams.

“I by no means had any curiosity in working the 400m despite the fact that I knew I had a expertise for it. I dabbled in it a pair years earlier than the pandemic and I had a while to suppose.

“I used to be changing into dillusioned with the game and I felt if I didn’t attempt one thing new, I used to be in all probability not going to proceed within the sport for for much longer. I believed it might shake issues up for me and it positively did.”

Williams took on the 400m significantly in 2019, becoming a member of the 4x400m relay group on the World Championships in Doha. The group of Williams, Emily Diamond, Zoey Clark and Laviai Nielsen completed fourth.

In her second Olympic look in Tokyo – after reaching the 200m semi-finals at Rio 2016 – she completed sixth within the 400m last, working her quickest ever time of 49.47.

Williams was additionally a part of the 4x400m group that positioned fifth, an indication that her shift to the 400m was paying off.

However it was in Paris that offered final vindication. Working third within the 4x400m heats, Williams clocked a 51.39 leg, serving to the group safe a spot within the last.

With a final-team change, all eight athletes together with, Amber Anning, Yemi Mary John, Hannah Kelly, Laviai Nielsen, Lina Nielsen, Nicole Yeargin, and Victoria Ohuruogu obtained to share the rostrum for the bronze.

“I’ve at all times beloved 4x400ms, it’s such a unique occasion to the flat,” says Williams. “I’ve at all times watched them and I actually like working in a pack so I feel it’s actually cool that it ended up being my Olympic medal.

“Standing on that podium with these women was unimaginable and it was so particular that each one eight of us obtained to face on the rostrum collectively. It felt like a full circle second to share a podium with that many unimaginable girls.”

Although Williams had already made the choice to retire earlier than the Video games, it was the medal and the outpouring of assist that made her realise the influence she’d had through the years.

“It’s humorous once I truly made the announcement, it abruptly all felt very actual,” says Williams. “Seeing the outpouring of affection was actually so touching.

“I don’t suppose you at all times notice the influence that you just’ve had if you end up so targeted on coaching and doing what you’re doing. I’ve at all times been somebody that wishes to remain very genuine and I’ve at all times tried to be very open and try to give a better perception into what the truth of sports activities is.

“Everything that I needed to be within the sport, no matter achievements or medals, is somebody that was simply genuine and true to themselves and didn’t really feel pressured to maneuver in a sure manner. I’m simply so glad that that was seen and acquired by so many individuals.”

You could find all of our unique protection from Williams’ achievements through the years through the Athletics Weekly archive.

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