Rushell Clayton happy with progress after injury

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 400m hurdles bronze medallist Rushell Clayton is happily getting on with the business of getting ready for this year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, after what has been a long injury lay-off.

Clayton made her first appearance on the track this season a couple of weeks ago, at the John Wolmer Speedfest, running in the flat 400 metres.

Yesterday, Clayton had her first taste of a one-lap event with the hurdles in the way.

Clocking 55.89 at the Bermuda Games, Clayton formed part of a Jamaican one-two-three, finishing second behind Shiann Salmon, 55.35, and ahead of Janieve Russell, 56.56.

After her first outing, Clayton had said, “Coming out of a race healthy is a positive and that is the best positive I can get.”

The 29-year-old famously pulled out of the National Championships in June last year with a leg injury and hadn’t run since. Now she is taking aim at staying healthy and getting back to her best.

“I haven’t competed for so long and it felt so good to come out and complete an entire 400m and still be healthy,” she had said two weeks ago.

INJURED LAST YEAR

Just before those National Championships last year, Clayton had pulled up at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida, with an injury that was more serious than at first assumed.

“I didn’t run last year because I tore all three muscles in one of my hamstrings, so that took me out for the entire season,” she said.

“I am still nursing it, but for the most part, I am healthy. Staying healthy is always the most important thing because once you are healthy, it is good to compete,” Clayton said.

Clayton, who has a personal best time of 53.74 seconds in the 400m hurdles event when she claimed bronze at the World Championships in 2019, was slower over the flat event, clocking 54.41, but that doesn’t matter.

“My preparations have been going awesome, I am loving the work that I have been doing in practice,” Clayton said.