Barbados’ rising star Sada Williams was recognised for her athletic achievements over the last 18 months when she received a Gold Trident of Excellence award at the Independence Day Parade and National Honours Ceremony yesterday.
It was the first time in 57 years the event was held at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex in Black Rock, St Michael.
Speaking at the complex named after the region’s greatest track and field athlete, the reigning Commonwealth Games 400 metre champion said: “I feel very honoured to be recognised for my achievements this year and last year and I’m hoping now to continue to do great things so that I can reach further in my career.
“This service was fun, I can’t ever remember attending an Independence Day Parade before but this one was a lot of fun,” she added.
The world class athlete joked that she would be celebrating the special occasion by enjoying a Chefette meal and then heading to the State House (formerly Government House) for the event hosted by the President, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, later in the day.
After being overlooked in the 2022 Independence Day Honours List, Williams received the Gold Trident of Excellence this time around for her outstanding achievements as a world class athlete in sport, and in particular track and field, as well as her unrelenting efforts to bring global acclaim to Barbados.
This award culminates a golden period for Sada Williams which began back in Eugene, Oregon in July 2022, when she placed third in the World Athletics Championships (WAC) 400 metres event to become the first Barbadian woman to win a bronze medal at these Games, setting a new national record of 49.75 seconds in the process.
Her biggest achievement came on August 7, 2022 in Birmingham, England when she sprinted from lane six to claim gold in impressive fashion, setting a Commonwealth Games record of 49.90 seconds in the women’s 400m final at the Alexander Stadium.
Thirteen days later, she was once again celebrating another podium finish, this time it was a silver medal win at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) Championships in Freeport, Bahamas. Williams finished this lap in 49.86 seconds, which laid further proof that she was one of the brightest talents in the world of athletics.
She would return to the World Athletic Championships a year later in Budapest, Hungary and take home another bronze medal in the 400 meters, improving on her previous time, hitting 49.60 seconds. Natalia Kaczmarek from Poland came second in 49.58 seconds with Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino finishing first in 48.76 seconds, a new national record.
In October, the Government of Barbados rewarded the island’s quarter-mile queen with BDS $150 000 at a ceremony at the Grantley Adams International Airport where a billboard in her honour was unveiled.
Williams has already booked her place in the Paris 2024 Olympics and finished the 2023 season as the world’s third-ranked 400m female athlete behind number one Paulinho and Kackmareck, respectively. (JC)
