#Penns2022 | Williams at ease after victory

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

Having captured the gold medal in the Championships of America Discus Throw event at the Penn Relays, Holmwood Technical's Cedricka Williams says she is feeling more confident and relaxed ahead of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, this summer.

Williams, 17, threw the discus 54.00m to win the event at Franklin Field yesterday and eclipsed her personal best of 53.91. But she remains second in the world behind South Africa's Mine de Klerk, who has thrown 54.22 this season.

"This will help towards the World Under-20 Championships because I am more confident now and my technique is getting better and better, so for the World Under-20 it will be great for me," Williams said. "Considering that at Champs I didn't perform that well, but I bounced back at Carifta with a gold medal, and I came here and got another gold and personal best, it is very amazing for me."

Williams said that the climate made the event challenging, so she had to put in extra effort to ensure that she won.

"I had to be calm throughout the event, and I believe in my coach, and so I just went out and executed well," she said.

"I am feeling proud of myself because I was also confident of the victory. At the beginning of the throws, I was very cold because the sun hadn't come out yet so my throws kind of faltered at the start but I was able to make the top eight catch up myself at the fourth throw with a personal best mark."

Victoria Christie of Camperdown High threw 44.88 on her sixth and final attempt to complete a Jamaican one-two finish.