COMING into the National Senior Championships with some injury concerns it was a relief for defending women's 400 metres champion Novlene Williams-Mills as she came into the meet with limited races under her belt after picking up an injury after the Penn Relays.

Over the years the athlete has had some of her best performances inside the National Sadium, but was not favourite heading into the final due to her injury concern. Former champion Rosemarie Whyte and 400 metres hurdles specialist Kaliese Spencer were given the nod by many pundits.

big improvement

However, the former Ferncourt High athlete repelled all charges to score her third consecutive win and retain her title in a season best of 50.05, a big improvement on her previous season best of 50.71 seconds. The time done by Williams-Mills puts her at number two this year as only Allyson Felix with 49.81 seconds has gone faster.

Williams-Mills was very happy to survive the injury and claimed another national title.

"I feel great tonight (yesterday) as I came to the Championships not to win but to do enough to make the team, but I will take it and I am very happy," she said. She was surprised with the fast time because of her lack of competition.

"I am kind of surprised that I was able to run so fast because I came to the meet with only a few races under my belt because I did not race too much because of my injury," she continued.

After coming very close at the World Championships in Osaka in 2007, looking a winner in the event but losing her momentum inches from the finishing line to finish third, she is hoping to improve. The athlete is hoping that the Daegu Championships could be where she gets her first gold medal and she will be hoping to get some more races under her belt before the World Championships.

"Definitely I am going for it and after missing a few races because of my injury earlier on I will be going on the circuit to compete so I can get ready for Daegu."

- R.G.