Boldon makes firm decisions on Briana Williams

September 27, 2019
Sprinter Briana Williams (right) and coach Ato Boldon.
Sprinter Briana Williams (right) and coach Ato Boldon.

A to Boldon, coach of young Jamaican sprinter Briana Williams, says that his athlete not competing at the IAAF World Championship in Doha, Qatar, was a decision well calculated by him.

Williams tested positive in June for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide, which entered her system through what Williams' defence said was a contaminated over-the-counter cold and flu medication administered by her mother to relieve her influenza symptoms.

She was given an official reprimand without a period of ineligibility on Thursday afternoon, in a decision from her anti-doping hearing on Monday and Tuesday. This meant she was then considering travelling to the Middle Eastern city to compete in the 100m event which starts on Saturday morning Jamaica time.

However, Jonielle Smith, who finished a spot behind Williams in fourth at the National Trials in June, is set to join Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson as Jamaica's entrants for the race.

Williams posted on her social media accounts to officially confirm her withdrawal from the event.

Boldon told STAR Sports that the situation Williams was placed in over the last few months took a toll on her psychologically and emotionally.

"I talked to her pretty soon after the decision and she was crying tears of joy and she was very relieved," Boldon said.

"This whole debacle took her out of medal contention for being a medallist and maybe even a finalist (in the 100m sprint). As you can understand, a 17-year-old going through this, her training has been sporadic, she has had very low points. She has had points where she didn't want to train. She had points where she didn't even want to eat."

Up until it was decided that Williams would not be entered at Worlds, Boldon had no intention of having her run the relays.

Became official

"I don't want Briana to be part of any infighting or politics with the relay," he told STAR Sports before her withdrawal became official. "So, if it is that one or more members of the relay feel like they don't want Briana on the team, for whatever reason, then I will withdraw her. Briana has fought enough fights for 2019. I am willing to have that fight in a normal year, when she makes the team next year and she is again eligible for the relay, then we'll have that fight."

Boldon says he has learnt from the whole ordeal, and says that he was at fault for allowing her mother to make certain decisions, which ultimately affect her young career.

"The lesson from this is that Briana is a professional athlete and even though she has not officially turned professional yet, she is number five in the world right now, as we speak in the 100s," he said.

"That means that she is a professional whether or not you want to admit it. It means that every single aspect of her career now has to be handled by a professional and that means that her mother doesn't get to play that part anymore, in any way, shape or form.

"Of course, Briana and I, and her mother, have already had this conversation, but they understand that going forward, there will be one voice and one CEO, so to speak. Everybody else is going to have to just not be involved. The only people that are going to be involved with Briana, going forward, are professional people. We can avoid this kind of thing, because this is really just a case of amateurs being involved. Her mother really wasn't aware of what she was doing when she gave her that medicine. She thought that it would be okay and she was very wrong. That can never happen again. Going forward, everything has to be run through me and I will be the only person, to whom everybody else has to answer."

Although Williams will not compete in Doha, she says that she hopes she will still be at the Championships as a spectator.

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