Rochester native Lauryn Williams heading back to Olympics in new sport Jan 20, 2014

Lolo Jones recalls the casual conversation. But it's pretty clear she put some real thought into it. She looked at Lauryn Williams, a fellow Olympian and her dinner companion at a track meet last summer, and she thought she would let her in on something. Ms. Jones had been a member of the U.S. bobsled team as a push athlete since 2012, working toward next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Ms. Williams, 30, a native of Rochester was headed toward retirement from track and field, and Ms. Jones saw in her a chance to witness history. Ms. Jones encouraged Ms. Williams to learn to bobsled. Six months after Ms. Williams joined the race for Russia, Ms. Jones' selfless suggestion was rewarded. They were named to the U.S. bobsled team Sunday night, and, barring injury, they'll become the (via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Sprinter Lauryn Williams switches to the bobsled Jan 03, 2014

Lauryn Williams left Pittsburgh a dozen years ago for the University of Miami's elite track and field program and never looked back, making her home in sunny South Florida, where she set her sights on becoming an Olympic champion. It was nothing against Western Pennsylvania. She held a special place in her heart for her hometown of Rochester, but Miami was a natural fit for a world-class sprinter. She could train outside 365 days a year -- give or take a hurricane warning or two -- without fear of even a regular old cold front blowing through. So to catch a glimpse of her Monday afternoon, bundled up in a red jacket in the lobby of a hotel in Winterberg, Germany, streaming live from her iPhone's FaceTime app, it was hard not to share an irony-laced chuckle with Ms. Williams. Another (via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)