Posted: September 14, 2005

Athletics: USOC honors Williams & Gatlin

INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Olympic Committee has named sprinters Lauryn Williams and Justin Gatlin as its August Athletes of the Month.

Williams (Miami, Fla.), the 2004 Olympic 100m silver medalist, won the gold medal in the 100m, the first women's medal for Team USA at the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Williams burst out of the blocks despite a rain-soaked track and grabbed an early lead before winning the race in 10.93 seconds. Williams defeated 2004 Olympic 200m gold medalist and 100m bronze medalist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who finished second in 10.95.

Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.) won the 100m and 200m titles at the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Gatlin ran 9.88 seconds and 20.04 seconds to become the first man to win both the 100m and 200m, respectively, at the event since Maurice Greene in 1999. Gatlin's winning margin of .17 seconds in the 100m was the largest in meet history.

Later in the month, Gatlin continued his winning ways with a convincing victory in the men's 100m in 10.14 seconds at the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Zurich, Switzerland. Gatlin extended his domination of the 100m event with a win in 9.99 seconds at the Memorial Van Damme IAAF Golden League meet in Brussels, Belgium.