British sprinter Bianca Williams, who is aiming to compete in the Tokyo Olympics next year, has been banned from driving for six months after receiving 29 penalty points on her licence. The 29-year-old athlete, who won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was disqualified from driving by a court in London on Monday.
Multiple Speeding Offences
According to the court documents, Williams was caught speeding four times between February and July 2020, exceeding the limit by more than 20mph on three occasions. She was also found guilty of failing to provide information about the identity of the driver of her Mercedes on two occasions. She received six points for each of the five offences, totalling 30 points. However, one point was later removed due to a clerical error.
Williams did not attend the hearing at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, but was represented by a lawyer who said she had been suffering from stress and anxiety due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the racial profiling incident involving the police in July 2020. The lawyer also said Williams had moved house and did not receive the notices of intended prosecution.
Racial Profiling Incident
Williams and her partner, fellow sprinter Ricardo dos Santos, were stopped and searched by the Metropolitan Police in Maida Vale, west London, on 4 July 2020, while they had their three-month-old son in the car. The couple accused the police of racially profiling them and using excessive force. The incident was captured on video and shared widely on social media, sparking outrage and criticism.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the conduct of five officers involved in the stop and search, and found that they had a case to answer for gross misconduct. The officers denied the allegations and faced a misconduct hearing in September 2021. Two of them were sacked, while the other three received written warnings.
Olympic Dream
Despite the setbacks, Williams has not given up on her dream of representing Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. She is hoping to qualify for the 200m and the 4x100m relay events, and has been training hard to achieve her goals.
She told the BBC in October 2020 that she was determined to overcome the challenges and make her son proud. “I want to show him that no matter what obstacles you face in life, you can always overcome them and achieve your dreams,” she said.
