Olympic spot hardly a dream for Williams

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EUGENE, Ore. -- The night before the final in the women's 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Lauryn Williams had a dream -- no, make that a nightmare -- that she'd "just be scrambling to get the 200" in order to make the U.S. Olympic team.It didn't work out that way -- Williams was third in the 100 to punch her ticket for Beijing, so the pressure will be off when she competes in the 200 later this week -- but the dream probably reveals as much about her history in international competition as it did about her psyche.Again and again, Williams just squeezes her way onto the team for some major meet. And again and again, the 24-year-old Miami resident capitalizes on the resulting opportunity.In 2004, she was third in the 100 at the Olympic trials, and a silver medalist in Athens. In 2005, she was third at the U.S. outdoor championships, and won a gold in both the 100 and the 4-x-100 relay at the world championships. And in 2007, she was second in the 100 at both the U.S. and world outdoor championships.It's not like she can't win -- she was the U.S. outdoor champion in the 100 in 2006 -- but last weekend's third-place finish is enough in keeping with her history that someone asked her to explain why it is she's always and underdog, and yet keeps making the team.Her answer: "A lot of God, a lot of praying, and a lot of hard work."She was laughing as she said this. This, too, is something the native of Pittsburgh and 2004 University of Miami graduate seems to do quite often.Ask about her recent work with a nutritionist, and she says, laughing, "It was a lot of sacrifice in my life. I love to eat. That's my thing; I'm not in denial about that. Greasy, cheesy and sweet, that's me."But she also says the work with nutritionist Lisa Dorfman in the 10 weeks leading up to the trials was worth the sacrifice. In her blog at wcsn.com, Small at 5-foot-3 but powerfully built, Williams admits she had gained a bit of weight (without being specific) but writes that she sees the difference in areas beyond numbers on a scale: "My body has sooooooo felt the difference. I have this never-ending supply of energy. No more napping after practice, because I am not tired, and the workouts have improved tremendously."Much as she's excited to be heading to China, the trip also sets up a bit of a dilemma. Williams' father, David, has already declared he'll be going to Beijing. This in itself is not unusual, but he has a kidney ailment and is on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. When he went to the Athens Olympics, he required six dialysis treatments a day at a total cost of $10,000, made possible by a donation from a family friend."He says he's coming to China," says Williams. "I'm a little bit apprehensive about that, with everything that happened in Greece, but he's the dad and I'm the child, and I'm sure he's going to exercise his parenthoodness, or whatever kind of word you want to use" -- and yes, she laughed as she said this -- "and I'm sure he's going to be there. ..."I'm not sure how we're going to get the funds, but I'm sure a way will be made, as it was in '04, and I'm sure that I'll have a ton of family over there."Before worrying about those logistics, though, Williams has to complete the trials. She'll still be running the 200, which begins three days and four rounds of competition on Friday, but without that nightmare scenario looming over her."I'm really actually excited about the 200 now, because the pressure is off," she says, admitting it "usually isn't my strongest event." Her qualifying mark for the trials, 22.70, ties for just the 13th best in the field. (She had the sixth-best mark, 11.01, going into the 100, and ran a 10.90.)"So now I'm going to go out in the 200," she says, "and have a good time, knowing I'm going to do what I really want to do in Beijing."Which may well mean she once again makes the most of grabbing that last spot on the U.S. team.(Contact David Lassen at dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com.)(David Lassen writes for the Ventura County Star in California.)