# Christania Williams
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Christania_Williams.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christania_Williams
> Source revision: 1347364415
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{{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](/source/Saint_Ann_Parish), Jamaica[{{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}}]
| height = 1.65 m
| weight = 63 kg
| country = {{JAM}}
{{AUT}}
| sport = [Athletics](/source/Sport_of_athletics)
[Bobsleigh](/source/Bobsleigh)
| event = [100 metres](/source/100_metres)
[Two-woman](/source/Bobsleigh)
| club =
| team =
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| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| pb =
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Competition|[Olympic Games](/source/Athletics_at_the_Summer_Olympics)}}
{{Medal|Silver|[2016 Rio de Janeiro](/source/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics)|[4×100 m relay](/source/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women's_4_%C3%97_100_metres_relay)}}
{{Medal|Competition|[World Championships](/source/IAAF_World_Championships_in_Athletics)}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[2017 London](/source/2017_World_Championships_in_Athletics)|[4×100 m relay](/source/2017_World_Championships_in_Athletics_%E2%80%93_Women's_4_%C3%97_100_metres_relay)}}
{{Medal|Competition|[Commonwealth Games](/source/Athletics_at_the_Commonwealth_Games)}}
{{Medal|Silver|[2018 Gold Coast](/source/Athletics_at_the_2018_Commonwealth_Games)|[100 m](/source/Athletics_at_the_2018_Commonwealth_Games_%E2%80%93_Women's_100_metres)}}
{{Medal|Silver|2018 Gold Coast|[4×100 m relay](/source/Athletics_at_the_2018_Commonwealth_Games_%E2%80%93_Women's_4_%C3%97_100_metres_relay)}}
{{Medal|Competition|[World Youth Championships](/source/World_Youth_Championships_in_Athletics)}}
{{Medal|Gold|[2011 Lille](/source/2011_World_Youth_Championships_in_Athletics)|[Medley relay](/source/2011_World_Youth_Championships_in_Athletics_%E2%80%93_Girls'_medley_relay)}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2011 Lille|[100 m](/source/2011_World_Youth_Championships_in_Athletics_%E2%80%93_Girls'_100_metres)}}
}}
'''Christania Simone Williams''' (born 17 October 1994) is a [Jamaican](/source/Jamaicans) [sprinter](/source/Sprinting) and an [Austrian](/source/Austrians) [bobsledder](/source/Bobsleigh), who was a medalist in the women’s 4 x 100 metres relay at the [2016 Olympic Games](/source/2016_Olympic_Games) and [2017 World Championships](/source/2017_World_Championships_in_Athletics), as well as winning silver medals in the [100 metres](/source/100_metres) and 4x100m relay at the [2018 Commonwealth Games](/source/2018_Commonwealth_Games). She finished ninth in the [two-woman bobsleigh](/source/Bobsleigh_at_the_2026_Winter_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Two-woman) event at the [2026 Winter Olympics](/source/2026_Winter_Olympics).[{{cite web |url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/136660 |work=Olympedia |title=Christania Williams |access-date=22 February 2026}}]
She is the only athlete (other than those doing the same compulsorily due to the [Reunification of Germany](/source/Reunification_of_Germany), the [Breakup of Yugoslavia](/source/Breakup_of_Yugoslavia) or the [Dissolution of Czechoslovakia](/source/Dissolution_of_Czechoslovakia)), who competed at a [Summer Olympic Games](/source/Summer_Olympic_Games) for one country and a [Winter Olympic Games](/source/Winter_Olympic_Games) for another.
==Athletics career==
Born in [Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica](/source/Saint_Mary_Parish%2C_Jamaica), Williams attended Oracabessa High School before transferring to [Edwin Allen High School](/source/Edwin_Allen_High_School) in [Clarendon Parish, Jamaica](/source/Clarendon_Parish%2C_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](/source/2011_World_Youth_Championships_in_Athletics) in [Lille](/source/Lille), France, also winning a gold medal in the medley relay at the championships.[{{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}}]
Williams represented [Jamaica](/source/Jamaica) at the [2016 Summer Olympics](/source/2016_Summer_Olympics) in [Rio de Janeiro](/source/Rio_de_Janeiro) where she was a finalist in the [women's 100 metres](/source/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women's_100_metres) event, lowering her personal best to 10.96 seconds.[{{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](/source/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 }}] She won a silver medal in the women's 4 x 100 metres at the Games, running in the final alongside [Veronica Campbell-Brown](/source/Veronica_Campbell-Brown), [Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce](/source/Shelly-Ann_Fraser-Pryce) and [Elaine Thompson](/source/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.[{{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}}][ {{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}}] In 2018, she was a silver medalist in the 100 metres at the [2018 Commonwealth Games](/source/2018_Commonwealth_Games) in [Gold Coast, Australia](/source/Gold_Coast%2C_Australia), recovering from a slow start to finish in 11.21 seconds to win the silver medal behind [Michelle-Lee Ahye](/source/Michelle-Lee_Ahye) of Trinidad and Tobago, and ahead of compatriot [Gayon Evans](/source/Gayon_Evans).[{{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
}}] Later at the Games, alongside Evans she was a medalist in the [women's 4 x 100 metres relay](/source/Athletics_at_the_2018_Commonwealth_Games_%E2%80%93_Women's_4_%C3%97_100_metres_relay) with [Natasha Morrison](/source/Natasha_Morrison) and Elaine Thompson.[{{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}}]
In 2018, Williams ran a personal best in the 60 metres of 7.14 seconds competing on the [2018 IAAF World Indoor Tour](/source/2018_IAAF_World_Indoor_Tour) in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), Scotland. A time she equalled in 2021 at the American Track League in [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas).[{{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}}] After a period of time on the sidelines due to injury, Williams returned to racing in 2023 in Austria.[{{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
}}] On 29 August 2025, she was nationalized as Austrian and gained Austrian citizenship.[{{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}}]
Williams was selected to represent Austria at the [2026 Winter Olympics](/source/2026_Winter_Olympics) in the two-woman bobsleigh event alongside Katrin Beierl.[{{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}}]