Parchment hails improved start
Olympic 110m hurdles champion eyes Jamaican medal sweep in event at World Champs
Published:Monday | April 25, 2022 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Olympic 110 metres hurdles champion Hansle Parchment’s ultimate dream is for a Jamaican sweep of the medals in the event at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July.
The first steps towards that goal were taken last Saturday as he opened his 2022 campaign with a win in the 110m hurdles at the Velocity Fest meet at the National Stadium.
Parchment clocked 13.20 seconds for victory, which gave him temporary control of the world-leading time that was previously set by American Trey Cunningham on April 16 (13.22). However, another American, Devon Allen, set a new world-leading time of 13.12 seconds at the Navy Spring Invitational meet on the same day.
Parchment said that he credited his strong opening to improvements in his start, achieving his set target of sub-13.30.
“The start has improved massively. I just have to keep working on the technique and I could do something good this year,” Parchment said. “I had set a time of under 13.30 for myself for the first race of the season. I know my coach has some corrections to make, but otherwise I am feeling good.”
It is the start of what Parchment hopes to be a season highlighted with a full podium of Jamaican athletes in Oregon. There is great depth in the national 110m hurdles field. The other main contenders are Omar McLeod, the 2016 Olympic champion, and 2017 World Champion and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Ronald Levy. Parchment hopes that Jamaica’s competitors in the event at the World Championships will be at their best at the global meet.
BEST TECHNIQUE
“That would be a dream for me to see Jamaica sweep top three in the 110m hurdles. We have the potential to do it. We have all the talent necessary. We just need to come through, keep injury free, and maintain the best technique possible,” Parchment said.
Technique is one of the key areas that Parchment said that will be important for him throughout this season with no changes to his approach from his successful 2021 campaign.
“I want to make sure that I maintain my last half of my race. I was a little bit off from what I normally do towards the end, but I was able to maintain my composure and keep running,” Parchment said.
While recognising the strong field that he will have to battle in at the National Trials, he said that it is a battle that he is relishing, recognising the growing prestige of the hurdles event.
“Of course it is a very competitive field. We have talent all around. But I am very happy about that as well with hurdles becoming a major event. So I am looking forward to that,” Parchment said.