Jamaica's Danielle Williams arrived at the 2013 Summer Universiade in the Russian city of Kazan as a 20-year-old with a formidable junior record.

At the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in the Dominican Republic, she had earned gold in her specialist event, the 100 metres hurdles, and also in the women's 4x100m relay.

Later that year at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, she missed the podium by one place in both the 100m hurdles, where she set a personal best of 13.46sec, and the 4x100m.

But she was back on the podium in 2011 as she took 100m hurdles silver at the Pan American Junior Championships in Miramar in the United States.

Her performance in Kazan two years later was outstanding as she lowered her personal best to 12.84, to take bronze behind gold medallist Vashti Thomas of the US, who set a University record of 12.61, and Alina Talay of Belarus, who took silver in 12.78.

That proved to be the high point of Thomas' career to date. Both of the other medallists would go on to establish themselves at the highest level - indeed Talay had already won world indoor bronze and European gold in 2012.

The next Summer Universiade was held in 2015 at Gwangju in South Korea, and on this occasion Williams got the feel of standing on the highest point of the podium as she won in 12.78 from Russia’s Nina Morozova, who clocked 12.83, and Michelle Jenneke of Australia, the bronze medallist in 12.94.

The following month Williams once again found herself standing in gold medal position - after producing her peak performance at the Beijing World Championships.

A superlative run earned her gold in a personal best of 12.57, with silver going to Germany's Cindy Roleder in 12.59. Talay - who had begun 2015 by winning the European indoor 60m hurdles title - was third in a national record of 12.66.

Williams crashed out of the following year's World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon, and finished a disappointing 18th at the 2017 World Championships in London.

But in 2018 she returned to form as she won silver at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 12.78.

At the 2019 Doha World Championships, she earned another significant medal, taking bronze in 12.47, having lowered her personal best in London earlier that year to 12.32.

In 2022, she encountered the other side of her event once again as she hit her third hurdle in her preliminary round at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade. 

She then lost control, smashing her fourth barrier clean in two before struggling home out of the qualification places.