Commonwealth Games: Father-son bond working wonders for Aussie sprint ace Trae Williams

FATHERS coaching children in sport is the source of perennial dinner table arguments but it has worked spectacularly well for Australia’s fastest man, Trae Williams.

Trae Williams can’t wait to face the world’s best on the Gold Coast.

FATHERS coaching children in sport is the source of perennial dinner table arguments but it has worked spectacularly well for Australia’s fastest man, Trae Williams.

Williams, who has been coached in sprinting by his father Daniel, leapt to fourth on the all-time Australian 100m list with his 10.10sec win in the national titles final at Carrara Stadium on Friday night.

“We have our good days and our bad days ... argue a bit,’’ the 20-year-old from Brisbane said.

Trae Williams can’t wait to face the world’s best on the Gold Coast.

“But it all works. He knows what he’s doing and we are getting the results.

“The technique in the back end of my race is what I’ve been trying to improve the last couple of years and it’s helped a lot.’’

A 10.10 if replicated at the Commonwealth Games would put Williams in the Commonwealth final on April 9. At the 2014 Glasgow Games, Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole won the gold in 10.00sec from England’s runner-up Adam Gemili (10.10).

Williams played rugby union for his school and rugby league for Souths Acacia Ridge, the former club of Broncos playmaker Anthony Milford.

But now he has raced himself into the upcoming company of men such as Jamaican Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell and Canada’s Andre De Grasse.

“To race against guys who have medalled in Olympics and world championships would be awesome – a lot of pressure, too, but I have to keep my cool,’’ Williams said.

Williams withdrew on Saturday from the 200m, his second-string event, as did the 100m runner-up Rohan Browning.

Tasmanian Jack Hale is optimistic about the results of an MRI on Saturday which will be used to decide if a hamstring tear suffered in the 100m final will prevent him from competing at the Commonwealth Games.

The Australian record has been the possession of Queenslander Patrick Johnson since 2003 with his 9.93.

Brisbane’s Alex Hartmann was the second fastest qualifier from the 200m heats with his 21.05 and will need to win in a B-qualifying time of 20.64 or better to satisfy selection criteria in the 200m.

Trae Williams edges out Rohan Browning for the 100m title.

Brisbane’s Tom Gamble is the only Australian with a 200m qualifying time but admits he is hoping for the best in how a sore Achilles reacted to his 21.71 heat run.

Hartmann’s fourth in the 100m final consolidated his claims for a race at the Games in the 4x100 relay.

On Australia Day, Browning beat Hale and Williams in a blanket finish in Canberra when all three were accorded the same time of 10.23.

“Definitely I didn’t want to lose that title I won (in 2017),’’ Williams said.

“Going back to grade 12, I raced against Jack and Rohan and being all at the same level now is really good, especially heading through to the Commonwealth Games (4x100m) relay.’’

Originally published as Commonwealth Games: Father-son bond working wonders for Aussie sprint ace Trae Williams