KENNESAW, Ga. — UPDATE: After a draining two days of javelin throws, 200-meter races, and 110-meter hurdles, the heptathlon comes to an end with the 800-meter race. Georgia native Kendell Williams won 5th place in the heptathlon.
The air was thick with humidity and anticipation as the athletes finished their races. The 800-meter is the culminating event in the heptathlon and the last chance for athletes to prove their endurance and speed.
Before the race, Williams was in third place with a score of 5642. The two-time Olympian finished the 800-meter race in 8th place with a time of 2:16.91. Her final heptathlon score was 6508.
Original story below.
One Georgia woman is a two-time Olympian that is set to compete in the heptathlon beginning on Wednesday. The title of the World's Greatest Athlete is saved for the winner of the decathlon for the men and the heptathlon for the women.
Kendell Williams was born in Arlington, Virginia and she's going for the title. However, she calls Kennesaw, Georgia her hometown, according to the Team USA's website.
She graduated from Kell High School in Marietta in 2013. She received a public relations degree from the University of Georgia in 2017.
Most recently, Williams placed fifth in the 2019 World Championships heptathlon. She competed in the 2016 and 2018 indoor competitions and the 2017 and 2019 outdoor competitions.
The Georgia athlete has an impressive athletic resume. According to Team USA, she won the women's 100-meter hurdles at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, she is a three-time NCAA indoor pentathlon champion/outdoor heptathlon champion. She was named the 2016 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
RESULTS:
She placed 5th in the heptathlon with a score of 6508.
- Women's Heptathlon: 100m hurdles | Aug. 3 | In the first event of the heptathlon, Williams came in first in her heat at a time of 12.97.
- Women's Heptathlon: High Jump | Aug. 3 | Williams came in at a distance of 1.71 in the high jump.
- Women's Heptathlon: Shot put | Aug. 4 | Williams finished with a result of 12.41, adding 688 to her overall score.
- Women's Heptathlon: 200m | Aug. 4 | Williams finished fourth in her heat with a result of 24 and 981 points.
- Women's heptathlon long jump | Aug. 4 | Williams finished 2nd in her group with 1030 points. (She is now 5th overall).
- Women's heptathlon javelin throw | Aug. 4 | Williams finished in 7th place with a score of 48.78, adding 836 points to her score. She is third overall in the heptathlon with a score of 5642.
- Women's heptathlon 800m race | Aug 5 | Williams placed 8th in her heat with a time of 2:16.91.
Here's how you can watch Williams and the rest of Team USA in the heptathlon:
- Who: Georgia's Kendell Williams and Team USA Heptathlon
- What: Team USA
- When: Thursday beginning at 8:40 p.m. (other events could follow)
- Where: Tokyo, Japan
- TV: Peacock
- Stream: LIVE on NBC Olympics
The goal of the heptathlon and the list of events:
There are seven events in the heptathlon.
It's not about being the best in every event of a heptathlon or decathlon. It's about being the best, or nearly the best, in enough of them compared to the other competitors to win the gold. Because of the varied nature of the events, having speed, strength, agility, and endurance are all necessary.
Day One
- 100-meter Hurdles
- High Jump
- Shot Put
- 200 Meters
Day Two
- Long Jump
- Javelin
- 800 Meters