Hyde to push for medal at C'wealth Games

National 400m hurdler Jaheel Hyde is hoping that technical changes made in training will allow him to produce a medal at next month's Commonwealth Games.

Hyde placed third in his semi-final heat at the IAAF World Championships in London, England, last August with a time of 49.75 seconds, missing out on the final. The 21-year-old said that he and coach Christopher Harley have assessed his performance at the championships, and now he has the responsibility of going out on the track at the Commonwealth Games and proving that he has improved.

"I know what I did wrong, and it's just for me to come back this year and fix that and hope for the best for the rest of the season," Hyde said. "I'm young, and there's a lot to fix. You don't expect to get everything right at the get-go because then there'd be no room for improvement. "

MANY MEDALS

Hyde's comments follow those made by Jamaica Olympic Association's Commonwealth Games director Garth Gayle's that these Games will serve to correct the errors Team Jamaica made in London and that he expects the athletes to return to Jamaica next month with many medals.

While Hyde is looking to return with a medal, he said that he was not too concerned about improving his personal best.

"I don't want to set any (objectives for) times I'm hoping to run, but I want to make the final, and I want to medal. That's the step we're (he and Harley) taking right now. You can run a slow time and win. That's just track and field, so I'm not putting myself with any time."

When asked whether the upcoming Games presented a chance for Jamaica's young generation of athletes to make a statement, the 2014 World Junior Championships gold medallist said: "Definitely, because there are only Commonwealth countries here, so some events will be less powered. But then, some events are those where the top guys are from Commonwealth nations. We as athletes just have to go out there and give of our best and not doubt ourselves."

Norway's Karsten Warholm, Turkey's Yasmani Copello, and the USA's Kerron Clement finished in the medal positions in London last summer but will all be missing from the Commonwealth Games. Hyde said that should he earn a medal, it should not hold any less credibility because of their absence from the Games.

"It doesn't matter to me," he said. "I know what I am striving for, and I don't let anybody get in the way of what I'm doing."

R. P.

Jaheel Hyde fact file:

Born: February 2, 1997

High School: Wolmer's Boys

University: University of the West Indies

Club: Cameron Blazers

Events: 400m hurdles, 110m hurdles

Personal bests: (400mh) 49.01, (110mh) 12.96