Lauryn Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lauryn Williams

Personal information
Born	(1983-09-11) September 11, 1983 (age 41) Rochester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Miami
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight	127 lb (58 kg; 9.1 st)
Sport
Country	United States
Club	Florida
Turned pro	2004
Achievements and titles
World finals	1st Helsinki 2005– 100 metres
Olympic finals	2nd Athens 2004– 100 metres
Highest world ranking	2
Personal best(s)	100m- 10.88 200m- 22.27
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 4×100 m relay Silver 2004 Athens 100 meters World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki 100 meters Gold 2005 Helsinki 4x100 m relay Gold 2007 Osaka 4x100 m relay Silver 2007 Osaka 100 meters World Indoor Championships Silver 2006 Moscow 60 meters World Athletics Final Bronze 2004 Monaco 100 meters Bronze 2005 Monaco 100 meters World Junior Championships Gold 2002 Kingston 100 meters Silver 2002 Kingston 4x100 m relay Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo 100 meters Women's bobsleigh Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 2014 Sochi Two-woman
Updated on February 19, 2014.

Lauryn Williams speaking at the USA Track & Field national meeting, December 2014

Lauryn Williams (born September 11, 1983) is an American athlete who has achieved amazing success in two different sports: sprinting and bobsledding. She is famous for being one of only six athletes in history to win medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She is also the first American woman to do this!

Lauryn won a gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. She also earned silver medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics and other World Championships. Later, she switched to bobsledding and won a silver medal in the two-woman bobsleigh event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Early Life and College

Lauryn Williams was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania. She grew up in areas near Pittsburgh and Detroit. She still lives in suburban Pittsburgh today.

Even in high school, Lauryn was a fantastic athlete. She holds school records in the 100-meter, 200-meter, long jump, and 4x100-meter relay events. She trained with a local track club called The Wings of Moon Track Club. This helped her qualify for the National Junior Olympics.

After high school, Lauryn attended the University of Miami. She was a star on their track team and graduated in 2004.

Amazing Track Career

Lauryn Williams had a very successful career as a sprinter. In 2002, she became a World Junior Champion in the 100 meters. The next year, she won the 100 meters at the 2003 Pan American Games.

She also competed in many major international events:

• At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Lauryn won a silver medal in the 100-meter race.
• She won gold medals in the 4x100-meter relay at the World Championships in 2005 and 2007.
• At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Lauryn was part of the USA 4x100-meter relay team that won a gold medal and set a new world record!

Sometimes, things don't go perfectly in relay races. In the 2004 Olympics, her team was disqualified because of a problem with a baton exchange. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, another baton exchange issue caused her team to be disqualified. Even with these challenges, Lauryn always showed great sportsmanship and determination.

In 2010, Lauryn took a break from competitive running. She worked in the athletic department at the University of Miami. She returned to competition in 2011, ready to race again!

From Track to Ice: Bobsledding

After her incredible track career, Lauryn Williams decided to try a new sport: bobsledding! This was a big change, going from running on a track to speeding down an icy track in a bobsled.

Her hard work paid off quickly. On January 19, 2014, she won her first bobsled gold medal at a World Cup event in Austria. This success helped her get chosen for the U.S. Olympic women's bobsled team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Lauryn and her teammate Elana Meyers won a silver medal in the two-woman bobsleigh event. Their first run even set a new track record! This made Lauryn Williams one of the few athletes ever to win medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

Life After Sports

After retiring from professional sports, Lauryn Williams found a new career. She became a certified financial planner. This means she helps people manage their money and plan for their future. She passed her exam for this new career in 2017.

Major Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the  United States
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	1st	100m	11.33 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
			2nd	4×100m relay	43.66
2003	Pan American Games	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	1st	100m	11.12 secs
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	100m	10.96 secs
	World Athletics Final	Monaco, Monaco	3rd	100m	11.21 secs
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	100m	10.93 secs
	World Athletics Final	Monaco, Monaco	3rd	100m	11.04 secs
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	2nd	60m	7.01 secs
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	2nd	100m	11.01 secs
2012	Olympic Games	London, Great Britain	1st	4x100m relay	Competed in heats but not in final.
2014	Olympic Games	Sochi, Russia	2nd	2 Woman bobsleigh	3:50.71

See also

In Spanish: Lauryn Williams para niños

• World Fit