‘Double gold’ win in re-run ordeal
Simeon beats timing machine bug to take 100m medal
HIGHGATE Harriers sprint ace Simeon Williamson overcame a technical bug in a timing machine to sensationally claim another career gold medal at the weekend.
The talented runner was competing in the World University Games in Bangkok.
Williamson, from King’s Cross, followed up his Under-23s European Championship win with another medal-winning performance.
On the Saturday he made the 100m finals – winning the race. His time was 10.28 seconds, with China’s Zhang Peimeng second, 0.05 behind him. But within hours of his triumph he was preparing for the ordeal of re-running the race after being told that the result had been nullified following an equipment malfunction.
On Saturday night, the Middlesex University student learned that a protest by three countries – Canada, China and the Ukraine – had led to the result being scrapped.
A false start on the Saturday was not heard by the starter as a result of a timing-equipment error.
And timing sheets showed that winner Simeon had left the blocks 0.0001 seconds before the allowed reaction time. But Simeon shrugged off what would to many other athletes have been a deflating blow.
Put to the test, Williamson, the man many thought was unaccountably not selected for the World IAAF Championships in Osaka, Japan next week, was not found wanting.
He showed just why he’s the current European champion when he overcame the controversy in the Thai capital.
The following day he lined up for the re-run 100m race. Running for Middlesex, the Highgate Harrier stormed to victory – in the faster time of 10.22 seconds.
Williamson, firstly trained by Highgate coach, Juliet Kavanagh, and now by coach Lloyd Cowan, is having an unstoppable season, which saw him win the 100m Under 23s European Championship last month after setting a new championship time of 10.10 seconds.
