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Coach praises World champion

Published:Sunday | March 20, 2016 | 5:45 PMDania Bogle
AP
United States’ Calvin Smith (right) Jamaica’s Dane Hyatt, (centre) and Nigeria’s Noah Akwu (left) take off with batons after a transfer in a heat of the men’s 4X400-metre relay during the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

PORTLAND, USA:

Omar McLeod's coach, Douglas Case, was beaming with delight following the athlete's gold- medal win in the men's 60m hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships at the Oregon Convention Centre yesterday.

"I knew the competition was very good, but then I watched him at practice every day and I knew how good he could be, and I hate to say I expected him to win, but I really did. He looked like he could do it in practice, and from everything I saw, he was the guy to beat in reality," Case told The Gleaner.

It was sweet redemption for McLeod after his disappointing sixth-place finish at the outdoor World Championships in Beijing, China, last August.

"It's been a great indoor season. We really tried to have a minimal indoor season. We under- trained and under-raced because it's a big Olympic year for him and I think he's got a lot more to come from him this year," Case added.