MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) -The decathlon is arguably the most grueling competition in track and field, consisting of 10 different events.
However, Memphian Harrison Williams has a different vantage point in his profession.
“Playing in the sand, you know running around in a circle really fast, seeing how far I can throw a metal ball. It’s a lot of fun,” says Williams. “I feel like I’m a professional recess athlete.”
The 901 native had high hopes entering the US Olympic Trials, but those dreams were almost shattered right away when Williams laid an egg in the high jump.
“Historically bad,” says Williams of that performance. “Like I haven’t jumped that low since 2012. And I almost let that kind of derail my whole decathlon.”
A talk with his old man put him back on track.
“Had a good conversation with my dad right after the high jump,” Williams explains. “Not gonna lie, I cried a little bit, because I thought it was over. “But then I knew I had the 400(M) coming up to end the day, and I knew that’s my best event.”
Williams won the 400 meter, and performed well enough in the rest of the events to punch his ticket to Paris.
“I felt every emotion over those last 100 meters of the 1500M knowing that I was about to make the Olympic team in front of all my supporters and my family,” Williams says.
Williams’ Olympic dreams started on the track at Memphis University School. At first, he just did track and field as a way to stay in shape for basketball season.But legendary MUS track and field head coach and athletic director Bobby Alston saw something in Williams before he saw it in himself, and encouraged him to try the decathlon. The rest is history.
“I always like to try and throw a few freshman into the fire the first year,” says Alston of his initial encouragement to Williams. “And really not expect them to do much, just to see if they like it.”
Williams: “I don’t know why he thought I’d be good at it, because I was skinny and not very fast,” says Williams of Alston. “But he saw some potential.”
It didn’t take long for Williams to not only fall in love with decathlon but also excel at it.
“It was just the passion he had,” says Alston. “Which you don’t see a lot of high school kids have that focus, passion on what he was gonna do.”
After a decorated high school career and standout four years at Stanford, Williams now prepares for his biggest contest yet. And it all began as an Owl, with a little nudge from a local legend.
Williams believes he wouldn’t be an Olympian without Alston.
“I would say that yeah,” Williams says. “He got me into decathlon in the first place. He encouraged me to pursue it when I didn’t really do that well that first year.”
“I’m honored that he appreciates anything I’ve done for him,” Alston says. “Because he’s the one who has to put in the work everyday.”
When asked if it’s a gold medal or bust this week, Williams says without hesitation: “It is, yeah. I wouldn’t be going to Paris if I didn’t think I could win a gold medal.”Williams begins his decathlon at 3:05 in the morning Central time on Friday with the 100M run.
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