Simeon Williamson
Encyclopedia
Simeon Oscar Williamson (born 16 January 1986 in Islington
) is an English
sprinter of Jamaica
n descent who specializes in the 100 metres
. Williamson, a London
native, is the second cousin of British high jump
er Germaine Mason
. His athletics club is Highgate Harriers. He is a former British 100 metres champion.
, 1/100th of a second behind Craig Pickering
, to complete a British 1-2-3 with third placed Alex Nelson. In 2007 he became European Athletics Under-23 Champion
in the 100 m, clocking a personal best of 10.10 seconds and edging out compatriot Pickering in a British 1-2. He won the 100 m race at the 2007 Summer Universiade
.
In 2008 he finished seventh in 60 metres
at the World Indoor Championships
. That year, Williamson was featured in a BBC
documentary
called Sprint, along with other 100 m hopefuls Pickering, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
and Wade Bennett-Jackson. Williamson represented Team GB in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 100 m and the 4x100 metres relay. He was second in the trials behind Dwain Chambers
, running a new personal best of 10.03 seconds. However, following a minor injury at the team's training camp he was less successful in the Olympics. He failed to match his trials form and went out at the quarter-final stage. Together with Tyrone Edgar
, Marlon Devonish
and Pickering he also competed at the 4x100 m relay. In their qualification heat they were disqualified and eliminated for dropping the baton.
in Turin
and finished a close fourth in the 60 m final with 6.57 s. In the outdoor season in June, Williamson ran the 100 m in 10.09 seconds at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games. This was the second fastest time by a European at that point in the season. Following this he finished second to world-leader Daniel Bailey
at the ISTAF meet in Berlin; the first ÅF Golden League of the season.
Williamson won his first national championships in July. He broke Dwain Chambers' domination of the British 100 m with a strong run into the wind. His time of 10.05 seconds was not a personal best, but it surely would have been had he not been hampered by a −1.8 m/s wind. Williamson was pleased with his first national title, having finished as runner-up a number of times, and turned his attention to a further Golden League meet against Usain Bolt
. He did not repeat his national championships' form on the European circuit, running 10.14 seconds for sixth place at the Meeting Areva, although a fourth place at the London Grand Prix
with 10.19 seconds into a strong headwind was an improvement.
At the 2009 World Championships
, Williamson failed to live up to expectations and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the competition
, recording 10.23 seconds after suffering a cramp. However, success came in the form of a relay medal, as he led off a team including Tyrone Edgar, Marlon Devonish and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and won the bronze, his first international relay medal. After the championships he took third at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
, but finished last by some distance at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
. Although, he had won his first national championship that year, he had peaked outside of the major competitions. He stated that he was not sure how he had managed his 10.05 seconds win, but announced that he would return to Jamaica for a winter training camp to try to improve his consistency for the following season.
However the 2010 season was a write off for Williamson as he was forced to undego knee surgery in march 2010 and missed the entire summer he hoped to return for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi but wasn't ready in time so instead he decided to continue his rehabilitation at home before flying to Jamaica in preparation for the next season.
Injuries continued in the 2011 season and it is now thought he has retired from athletics.
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sprinter of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n descent who specializes in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
. Williamson, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
native, is the second cousin of British high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
er Germaine Mason
Germaine Mason
Germaine Mason is a Jamaican-born athlete competing in high jump. In 2006 he switched sporting allegiance, and now represents Great Britain. He attended Wolmer's School in Kingston...
. His athletics club is Highgate Harriers. He is a former British 100 metres champion.
Career
He won the silver at the European Junior Championships in 20052005 European Athletics Junior Championships
The 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships is the 2005 version of the European Athletics Junior Championships. It was held in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Notes and references:*...
, 1/100th of a second behind Craig Pickering
Craig Pickering
Craig Keith Pickering is an English sprinter, currently based at the Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club; however, he also runs for the University of Bath and Newham and Essex Beagles. He is a former student of the Royal Latin School and got pointed in the sprinting direction by his PE teacher...
, to complete a British 1-2-3 with third placed Alex Nelson. In 2007 he became European Athletics Under-23 Champion
2007 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 6th European Athletics U23 Championships was held between 12 and 15 July 2007 in the Gyulai István Athletic Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary.- Men :- Women :-Medal table:-References:General*-External links:**...
in the 100 m, clocking a personal best of 10.10 seconds and edging out compatriot Pickering in a British 1-2. He won the 100 m race at the 2007 Summer Universiade
Athletics at the 2007 Summer Universiade
The athletics competition at the 2007 Summer Universiade was held in the Main Stadium at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, between 9 August and 14 August 2007.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals table:-Results:******...
.
In 2008 he finished seventh in 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
at the World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
. That year, Williamson was featured in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
called Sprint, along with other 100 m hopefuls Pickering, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey is an English sprinter. In 2005 he was named as the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and the IAAF's Rising Star of the Year after becoming the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 metres and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships.Aikines-Aryeetey...
and Wade Bennett-Jackson. Williamson represented Team GB in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 100 m and the 4x100 metres relay. He was second in the trials behind Dwain Chambers
Dwain Chambers
Dwain Anthony Chambers is an English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. He has won medals on the international stage numerous times and is one of the fastest European sprinters in the history of recorded athletics. His primary event is the 100 metres sprint, in which he has the second...
, running a new personal best of 10.03 seconds. However, following a minor injury at the team's training camp he was less successful in the Olympics. He failed to match his trials form and went out at the quarter-final stage. Together with Tyrone Edgar
Tyrone Edgar
Tyrone Damien Edgar is a sprinter from Great Britain who specializes in the 100 metres.Edgar went to junior college in Kansas, USA in 2003 where he ran an impressive wind assisted 10.04 at the Junior College Championships...
, Marlon Devonish
Marlon Devonish
Marlon Ronald Devonish, MBE is an English sprint athlete.He is a member of the Coventry Godiva Harriers athletics club and is coached by Tony Lester. Early in his career he was successful at both 100 and 200 metre distances, winning English Schools and European Junior titles at both, but in recent...
and Pickering he also competed at the 4x100 m relay. In their qualification heat they were disqualified and eliminated for dropping the baton.
National champion
At the 2009 Birmingham Grand Prix Williamson won the 60 m and improved his personal best to 6.53 seconds. He was selected to compete at the European Indoor Championships2009 European Indoor Championships in Athletics
The 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships was held in Turin, Italy, from Friday, 6 March to Sunday, 8 March 2009. The championships took place at the Oval Lingotto indoor arena which has a seating capacity of 6,600 people....
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and finished a close fourth in the 60 m final with 6.57 s. In the outdoor season in June, Williamson ran the 100 m in 10.09 seconds at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games. This was the second fastest time by a European at that point in the season. Following this he finished second to world-leader Daniel Bailey
Daniel Bailey
Daniel Everton Bailey is a male sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda who specialises in the 100 metres. He carried the flag for his native country at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics and was a 100 m semi-finalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.He came to prominence in 2009 with a...
at the ISTAF meet in Berlin; the first ÅF Golden League of the season.
Williamson won his first national championships in July. He broke Dwain Chambers' domination of the British 100 m with a strong run into the wind. His time of 10.05 seconds was not a personal best, but it surely would have been had he not been hampered by a −1.8 m/s wind. Williamson was pleased with his first national title, having finished as runner-up a number of times, and turned his attention to a further Golden League meet against Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
. He did not repeat his national championships' form on the European circuit, running 10.14 seconds for sixth place at the Meeting Areva, although a fourth place at the London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
with 10.19 seconds into a strong headwind was an improvement.
At the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, Williamson failed to live up to expectations and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the competition
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics were held at the Olympic Stadium on August 15 and August 16. The two main contenders for the event were the reigning World Champion Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder...
, recording 10.23 seconds after suffering a cramp. However, success came in the form of a relay medal, as he led off a team including Tyrone Edgar, Marlon Devonish and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and won the bronze, his first international relay medal. After the championships he took third at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge....
, but finished last by some distance at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
. Although, he had won his first national championship that year, he had peaked outside of the major competitions. He stated that he was not sure how he had managed his 10.05 seconds win, but announced that he would return to Jamaica for a winter training camp to try to improve his consistency for the following season.
However the 2010 season was a write off for Williamson as he was forced to undego knee surgery in march 2010 and missed the entire summer he hoped to return for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi but wasn't ready in time so instead he decided to continue his rehabilitation at home before flying to Jamaica in preparation for the next season.
Injuries continued in the 2011 season and it is now thought he has retired from athletics.
Personal bests
| Event | Best | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.53 s | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , England |
21 February 2009 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.03 s | Birmingham, England | 12 July 2008 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... (indoor) |
21.55 s | Birmingham, England | 20 February 2005 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... (outdoor) |
21.60 s | Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... , Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
16 August 2005 |