Another win, another meet record for OTC’s Williams

OTC Elite high jumper Jesse Williams is two-for-two this spring.  In two outdoor meets, he’s emerged with two victories and set two meet records.

On May 6 in Doha, Qatar, the 27-year old North Carolina native cleared 2.33 meters (7 feet, 7 ¾ inches) on his third attempt to tie 2009 World silver medalist Kyriakos Ioannou of Cyprus. Though both Williams and Ioannou earned the right to the Doha Diamond League meet record, Williams took home the win due to his first-attempt clearance at 2.31.

Williams’ first meet record came at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 16, when he soared over a 2.34 bar, which still stands as the world-leading mark for 2011.

On Saturday in Doha, Williams opened at 2.20, which he cleared on his second attempt. He went on to cover 2.23 and 2.26 on his first tries and got 2.29 on his second. Then, in what would turn into the meet-winning jump, Williams got over 2.31 before Ioannou. Both remaining athletes covered 2.33 on their third attempts and Ioannou had three more jumps at 2.35, while Williams passed at 2.35 and took one attempt at 2.37 before calling it quits for the day.

The previous meet record at Doha was set in 1998 by another American: Charles Austin. Qatar’s hometown favorite Moahtazessa Barsham Ahmed took third and set the Qatar national record of 2.31.

Williams is in action again at the Prefontaine Classic on June 4 in Track Town, USA.