Aug. 17: 'We're not going to take it lightly'
From ESPN.com senior writer Elizabeth Merrill:
Lauryn Williams plans to go to the zoo on Monday and cram in a day's worth of other touristy stops. Anything to get the sound of Jamaican music out of her head.
The Americans were foiled again by their sprinting rivals, watching Jamaica's women sweep the 100-meter dash Sunday night. Shelly-Ann Fraser smoked the United States' three qualifiers, finishing .20 seconds ahead of her silver medalist teammates with a time of 10.78 seconds.
William West/AFP/Getty Images
Lauryn Williams was among three U.S. qualifiers who were dusted Sunday by the Jamaicans in the 100-meter final.
It was the same margin of victory that countryman Usain Bolt clocked on Saturday night when he gave Jamaica its first victory in the 100.
Williams finished fourth for the Americans, behind Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, who had to wait for several minutes as judges reviewed the tie finish. Teammate Lee Muna was right behind her in fifth, and Torri Edwards finished last.
"I just think maybe it's time for America to humble themselves," Williams said. "We're getting a pretty good taste of what it's like to be at the bottom, and it's going to make us hungry to get back to the top.
"We're always at the forefront and we're not going to take it lightly."
Fraser flashed a tin grin and had a cell phone pressed to her ear as she entered the media zone late on Sunday night. Her homeland newspaper, the Jamaica Gleaner, recently said the 21-year-old "popped out of nowhere" in her journey to Beijing, placing second in the trials behind Stewart.
"I think I'm going to visit Kingston and do some training with the Jamaican girls," said Great Britain's Jeanette Kwakye, who finished sixth. "They're fantastic, mon."
The Americans weren't quite as enamored. Muna thought there was a false start and was frustrated afterwards, saying she should've just ran.
Williams tried to set her thoughts on a possible 4x100 relay medal later this week.
"We've got to turn it around," she said. "We definitely need something to turn the morale around."
