Highgate Harriers Interviews

Williamson initially was keen on football as a youngster but living in the Kings Cross-Camden Town area, he decided to go up to up to the local Parliament Hill Fields track and try his hand at athletics. He soon joined Juliet Kavanagh's group of sprinters and right from the word go he made friends from the club, who have remained his friends to this day. He ran for Highgate Harriers' Senior Southern League team when he was a teenager and was often successful, particularly over the 100.
"I know I can call Juliet (Kavanagh) and Richard (Priestley the Track & Field Manager) about a few things which is good. Even if I am not running a lot in club races I still have the affiliation with the team and Juliet the coach."
Dwain Bromfield, the Highgate Harrier, ran a personal best time of 10.71 in the heat of the UK Championships this year and is one of those friends he started out with " He came from the hotel to the track with me. After I saw him run his PB.He was happy. It was unexpected he would run that fast as he had been injured and might not even run the season"
The first significant victory for Simeon Williamson at 'National' level was winning the AAA's Under 20 title at Bedford on the 2nd of July 2005.
" Even though I was second to Craig Pickering in the European Under 20' I had a good season. I beat Craig three times up to the Championships and was second fastest Under 20 in Europe that year. I went to the European Under 20's and came second and that was the beginning of the future great things that happened I think."
Up to this year which races stood out for him
" World Student Games and European Under 23 Championships"
In 2007 he won the European Under 23' at Debrecen in 10.10 and in the World Student Games in Bangkok he won in 10.22 but the latter was a challenging event for him
" I had to run that again the next day because they said I false started. I liked that race because I had come back again and won it. I had not been really doing too well in the rounds and only scraped through to the final. Getting 4th in the Semi-Final which was one of the fastest heats. Once you get in the Final anything can happen!"
Back in 2005 when I interviewed Simeon Williiamson at a Southern League Division One meeting for Athletics Weekly, after his first UK title, he said he was not really interested at making the London Olympics and that would only be a bonus because he was more interested in going to somewhere which he had never visited before which would be Beijing, if he made the team but when it came to the time but unfortunately Simeon Williamson went into the Games having been injured but did make the second round.
" I learnt a lot going out in Beijing. I saw Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt do well. It was like a good experience I would say. Obviously I could have done better if I had not got the injuries. Just to be out there watching I learnt a lot from last year. That is why I am running better this year. I saw a lot and just want to be as good as possible."
In 2009 he came second the Dwain Chambers in the AAA's 60metres indoors but Williamson narrowly missed out on a medal in the European Indoors in Turin.
" I was expecting to get a medal. I was second fastest in Europe. Being second fastest I did not want anything less than a silver, so close but so far but it is all abut outdoors that is the main thing."
Winning the UK Trials over the 100 on the 11th of July in 10.15 certainly looked impressive on the main BBC News that evening so, was it a memory for him?
' I was happy with the win but wanted to run under 10.00 seconds. It was a memory but I enjoyed last year's Olympic trials better I think. Then I was not expecting to do what I did. This year I sort of expected to do what I did. Last year the Trial was a bigger achievement for me"
However in 2009 on the track the magnitutude of what Simeon Williamson achieved put him into a bracket with some of the World's best sprinters. He has beaten Marc Burns, Churandy Martina, Kim Collins, Asafa Powell and Ivory Williams to mention five quality sprinters.
" Churandy was in he Olympic 100/200 final. I am on the verge of a breakthrough. I have not broken through yet I think it is just a matter of time."
Simeon Williamson used to bridle against some of his hard training but obviously not so much lately.
" I did not mind training. It was the long stuff, anything over 120 to 150 that I did not really like doing. Now I am looking forward to enjoying it as much as possible."
His best time for 200 is 21.5 so did the event interest him?
" It does but I need to do more training for it. I am looking to miss the indoors this year. I think to miss indoor racing and get some endurance for 200. Try and do background work and then do the speed. Try to get the endurance back up by training through and missing the indoors, that will help for my 100 and 200."
LLOYD COWAN'S coaching has been a great help for Simeon Williamson in recent years.
" Definitely! He has got Christine Ohuruogu to Olympic and Commonwealth Gold medals and coaches Andy Turner. It is good to have someone like that coaching you. I have a good relationship with him."

Alastair Aitken

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