Posted: July 23, 2004

Athletics: Tonique Williams Darling: "Racing-wise, I Have My Game Plan Together"

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

(c) 2004 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

PARIS -- The win-streak Grim Reaper made his presence a heavy one at Rome's Golden Gala Golden League meeting earlier this month. There was the headline-grabbing beating he inflicted on world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj, but that came after he already sharpened his blade in the women's 400 when Tonique Williams Darling ended Ana Guevara's 23-race reign.

"I feel a little overwhelmed right now," the 28-year-old Bahamian said after her 49.25 national record. "I think it's going to take me a day or two to adjust to just what happened today."

What transpired was evident to anyone in attendance at the Stadio Olimpico. The powerful Williams Darling, who captured the bronze at this year's World Indoor Championships, had built a clear lead 200 meters into the race. Guevara managed to narrow a slight portion of the gap, but in the end, it wasn't even close. The Mexican was nearly a half-second back, reaching the line in 49.74, suffering her first defeat since her third place showing at the 2001 World Championships.

"I felt good," she said. "If I can go into the 200 with no one ahead of me, you know, that's my race. So being able to finish up the race is not a problem for me."

Williams Darling first busted through the 52-second barrier in 1998 with a 51.99 best, but began making some real waves last year, finishing the season with a 50.24 PB and a fifth place finish at the World Championships. This season, she's been on a tear, with wins in Ostrava (a near PB 50.28), Bergen (PB 49.78) and now Rome. Suddenly, she's threatening sub-49 territory, a land where only eight have treaded before.

"Last year was my comeback season, and I was in top shape. I don't know if I 'm in any better shape this year, but racing-wise I have my game plan together and I'm just doing that."

But psychologically, Williams Darling said she's much better prepared as the Olympic Games approach. "Psychologically, definitely. I'm really in tune with my body and mind and just putting out a great performance. It isn't all about the physical anymore. Right now it's about mental performances for me. And if you can pull off a win against people like Ana Guevara, you can expect great times."

But despite dropping a near full second from her pre-season best, Williams Darling insists that there is room for improvement. She'll just need to have a more fierce battle on her hands.

"You run a different race when there's somebody ahead of you. I know this was Ana's second race, and she's building, a lot of people out there are building. And so, if I get side-by-side, and get somebody in front of me, I think there's going to be more of a race, instead of me just running an easy pace."

Was she surprised not to see Guevara?

"Always," she said, breaking into a hearty laughter. "I mean she is great. I could not touch her last year, and to be in front of her is like, 'whoa!'"

But her win in Rome, she said, was but a building block this summer. Athens looms large, as do the remaining four Golden League races. She is one of just five athletes still in the hunt for the GL million dollar jackpot, and like her rivals, she said that she's still building as well.

"Oh yeah, [Rome] was just my third meet outdoors, and I'm still training really hard. Some people I've competed against have already had five to nine race. So when I say building, it's just three races for me. So I feel there' s still room for improvement."

In tonight's Gaz de France Golden League meeting here in Paris, Williams-Darling fiercest competition should come from world 400 meter hurdles champion Jana Pittman, and 19-year-old Sanya Richards of the U.S. Richards finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials six day, lowering her personal best to 49.89.

The TRACK PROFILE REPORT is a news and feature service published by the Track Profile News Service. In addition to regularly dispatched news, profile and interview features, subscribers also receive exclusive on-site updates from major national and international competitions, usually within 24 hours. Copyright (c) 2004 by Bob Ramsak and TRACK PROFILE. All rights reserved. Reproduction, republication, reposting and retransmission in ANY form is strictly prohibited without express permission from the editor.