{{Short description|Jamaican-Austrian sprinter & bobsledder}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = lightblue | name = Christania Williams | image = | imagesize = | caption = | full_name = Christania Simone Williams | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|10|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica<ref>{{cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6034453-christania-williams.htm|title=2018 CWG bio|accessdate=1 May 2018|archive-date=1 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501161048/https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6034453-christania-williams.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> | height = 1.65 m | weight = 63 kg | country = {{JAM}}<br>{{AUT}} | sport = Athletics<br>Bobsleigh | event = 100 metres<br>Two-woman | club = | team = | turnedpro = | coach = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}} {{Medal|Silver|2016 Rio de Janeiro|4×100 m relay}} {{Medal|Competition|World Championships}} {{Medal|Bronze|2017 London|4×100 m relay}} {{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}} {{Medal|Silver|2018 Gold Coast|100 m}} {{Medal|Silver|2018 Gold Coast|4×100 m relay}} {{Medal|Competition|World Youth Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2011 Lille|Medley relay}} {{Medal|Bronze|2011 Lille|100 m}} }}
'''Christania Simone Williams''' (born 17 October 1994) is a Jamaican sprinter and an Austrian bobsledder, who was a medalist in the women’s 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Championships, as well as winning silver medals in the 100 metres and 4x100m relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She finished ninth in the two-woman bobsleigh event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/136660 |work=Olympedia |title=Christania Williams |access-date=22 February 2026}}</ref>
She is the only athlete (other than those doing the same compulsorily due to the Reunification of Germany, the Breakup of Yugoslavia or the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia), who competed at a Summer Olympic Games for one country and a Winter Olympic Games for another.
==Athletics career== Born in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, Williams attended Oracabessa High School before transferring to Edwin Allen High School in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica. In 2011, her time of 11.39 seconds for the 100 metres moved her to the top of the world U18 list. She was a bronze medalist in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, France, also winning a gold medal in the medley relay at the championships.<ref name="bailey"/> In 2014, she ran 11.19 seconds to win the senior ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Championships. She started her professional athletics career at the MVP Track Club under head coach Stephen Francis. Howvever, she missed the 2015 Jamaican senior trials due to a hamstring injury.<ref name="bailey"/>
Williams ran below 11 seconds for the 100 metres in 2016, with a personal best time of 10.97 seconds to place third in the Jamaican Olympic Trials.<ref name="bailey"/><ref name="twin">{{cite web|url= https://trackalerts.com/2023/07/christania-williams-2nd-at-raiffeisen-austrian-open/#google_vignette|website=Track Alerts|accessdate=4 Feb 2026|title= Christania Williams 2nd at Raiffeisen Austrian Open|date=27 July 2023}}</ref> Williams represented Jamaica at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where she was a finalist in the women's 100 metres event, lowering her personal best to 10.96 seconds.<ref name="bailey"/><ref name="lewis"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/christania-williams |title=Christania Williams |website=Rio2016.com |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |accessdate=13 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806071029/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/christania-williams |archive-date= 6 August 2016 }}</ref> She won a silver medal in the women's 4 x 100 metres at the Games, running in the final alongside Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson as they produced the fifth-fastest time in history of 41.36 seconds, finishing in second place behind the USA, but with the fastest ever time recorded for a second-placed team.<ref name="bailey">{{Cite web |title= Starting with World Relays success, Williams aims to make waves in 2017|date=19 April 2017|url= https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/christania-williams-jamaica-100m-relay |access-date=4 Feb 2026|website=World Athletics}}</ref><ref name="lewis"/>
The following year, she represented Jamaica at the 2017 World Relays, in Nassau, The Bahamas,<ref name="bailey"/> and won a bronze medal in the sprint relay at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.<ref name="lewis"> {{Cite web |url= https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/track-to-the-ice-athletics-stars-set-to-compete-at-milan-2026-winter-olympics|title= Track to ice - A guide to athletics stars set to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics|first=Jasmine|last=Trapnell|date=2 Feb 2026|access-date=4 Feb 2026|website=European Athletics}}</ref> In 2018, she was a silver medalist in the 100 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, recovering from a slow start to finish in 11.21 seconds to win the silver medal behind Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, and ahead of compatriot Gayon Evans.<ref>{{cite web|title= Williams, Evans secure silver and bronze in 100m |website=Jamaica Gleaner|accessdate=4 Feb 2026|url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20180409/commonwealth-games-2018-williams-evans-secure-silver-and-bronze-100m|date=9 April 2018 }}</ref> Later at the Games, alongside Evans she was a medalist in the women's 4 x 100 metres relay with Natasha Morrison and Elaine Thompson.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Gold Coast Commonwealth Games|date=15 April 2018 |url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7117445?eventId=204594 |access-date=4 Feb 2026|website=World Athletics}}</ref>
In 2018, Williams ran a personal best in the 60 metres of 7.14 seconds competing on the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. A time she equalled in 2021 at the American Track League in Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://trackalerts.com/2021/02/christania-williams-runs-7-14-pb-at-american-track-league/|title=Christania Williams runs 7.14 PB at American Track League|first=Anthony|last=Foster |date=Feb 7, 2021|accessdate=4 Feb 2026|website= trackalerts.com}}</ref> After a period of time on the sidelines due to injury, Williams returned to racing in 2023 in Austria.<ref name="twin"/>
==Bobsleigh career== Having moved to Austria, she began training at the sports centre in St. Pölten competing in two-woman bobsleigh as a pusher for Katrin Beierl, who also trains in St. Polten. The pair competed at the 2024–25 Bobsleigh World Cup event in Innsbruck-Igls in January 2025.<ref name="lewis"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ibsf.org/en/news/detail/jamaican-sprinter-pushes-katrin-beierl|website=ibsf.org|accessdate=4 Feb 2026|title= JAMAICAN SPRINTER PUSHES KATRIN BEIERL|date=16 Jan 2025 }}</ref> On 29 August 2025, she was nationalized as Austrian and gained Austrian citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sport.orf.at/stories/3144952/|title=Jamaikanische Beierl-Anschieberin Williams eingebürgert|first=ORF at/Agenturen|last=red|date=29 August 2025|website=sport.ORF.at}}</ref>
Williams was selected to represent Austria at the 2026 Winter Olympics in the two-woman bobsleigh event alongside Katrin Beierl.<ref>{{Cite web |last=red |first=ORF at/Agenturen |date=2026-01-19 |title=Beierl fährt bei Olympia mit Anschieberin Williams |trans-title=Beierl will compete at the Olympics with brakewoman Williams |url=https://sport.orf.at/stories/3150286/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=sport.ORF.at |language=de}}</ref><ref name="lewis"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{World Athletics|jamaica/christania-williams-14413656}} * {{IBSF|18367|Christania Simone Williams}} * [https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/19603 Christania Simone Williams] at Milano Cortina 2026 * {{Team Austria|christania-williams/3362}} * {{Olympics.com}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{InterSportStats}} * {{Instagram}}
{{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions Medley Relay Women}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Christania}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Saint Ann Parish Category:Jamaican women sprinters Category:Olympic athletes for Jamaica Category:Austrian female bobsledders Category:Olympic bobsledders for Austria Category:Olympic athletes for Austria Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic silver medalists for Jamaica Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Jamaica Category:World Athletics Championships medalists Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Jamaica Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Jamaica Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Olympic women sprinters Category:21st-century Jamaican sportswomen Category:21st-century Austrian sportswomen Category:Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics Category:Jamaican emigrants to Austria Category:Austrian people of Jamaican descent Category:Bobsledders at the 2026 Winter Olympics