BEIJING -- It's not that Lauryn Williams is terribly bold. She just has the refreshing quality of speaking her mind, and usually at a lightning pace.

So she didn't hesitate yesterday to make a prediction, or at least an informed wish, about the Olympic women's 100-meter dash today.

"I think we can sweep," Williams said of the three Americans who qualified for today's semifinals and are good bets for the finals a couple of hours later.

"It's going to take mental preparation, but we're as good as anybody out there. That doesn't mean the other competition isn't fierce, or the other girls aren't showing up as well. We've got to bring our game face, but we can sweep."

Williams, a Rochester High School graduate, yesterday easily advanced to the semifinals while conserving some energy by letting up a little toward the end of her two heats. So did fellow U.S. sprinters Muna Lee and Torri Edwards.

Four years ago, Williams won the silver medal at the Athens Games in somewhat of a surprise. Now she's recognized as a gold medal hopeful. Through yesterday's events, no Americans had picked up a gold in track here.

There are similarities to 2004 for Williams. Namely, she's healthy and in peak form after dealing with several nagging ailments the past couple of years.

"I'm just really excited about not having any pain in my body and being able to coast from 50 meters on" in the heats, she said.

Perhaps more important for Williams, there are also some differences.

At that point, she was not far removed from winning the NCAA championship in the 100 for the University of Miami and surprising some in the track community by qualifying for the Olympics..

"Last time it was just an extra little blessing," she said.

In Athens, she advanced to the 100-meter final and took the lead in the race, only to be caught at the line by Belarussian Yuliya Nestsiarenka.

Still, collecting a silver medal in 10.96 seconds as a 20-year-old changed Williams' life. She skipped her senior season at Miami -- although she returned to school and graduated the December, a semester early -- and turned pro, signing an endorsement contract with Nike.

After settling into the pace of the European season and summer championships, the 5-foot-3 Williams might be just bubbly as ever, but she's not as wide-eyed as she was in Athens.

"I think the difference is being a professional now," she said. "This is what I live for. This is my job.

"I really want this this time. The first time, I was like, 'Hey, this is a nice opportunity.' "

She'll have some competition. Nestsiarenka and Edwards are in the semifinal opposite Williams. Lee is in the same semifinal. The top four in each advance to the final, with the top times getting favorable inside lanes.

Williams and Lee have had a rivalry and friendship -- the line gets blurred -- dating to their college days. Lee ran for Louisiana State University.

"We're like teammates. We do the same stuff. We've got the rivalry, but it's friendly," Lee said. "With anybody else, it would be like you don't talk to them or anything. We can joke about it. It's a big help.

"If she's really nervous, I'll be like, 'Calm down, Lauryn, it's just the ground.' I make myself laugh."

Lee and Williams agree that Williams is the one whose nerves go haywire.

"She is very helpful. Muna is just really easy, breezy, cool," Williams said. "I just get into a Nervous Nellie mode. It's really good that we aren't those fierce, angry competitors. Me and Muna can talk.

"We took the bus over [yesterday]. We walked together. We chit-chatted. It's kind of a comfortable feeling to know that even though it is your competitor, you still get along well with them."

One other thing people who might have lost track of Williams the past four years might notice: no more Mickey Mouse ears hair.

Now she's got a more adult look of long, thin braids.

"It's pretty plain this time," she said. "I didn't do anything extra. I had to do something that will last a while because we go straight to Europe from here."

It seems Williams has gotten a little more practical over the past Olympic cycle, too.