Tapper seeks to keep the momentum going
Published:Friday | April 29, 2022 | 12:05 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
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Navigating between two training environments may be a challenge for Olympic 100 metres hurdles bronze medallist Megan Tapper, but she says that her work is starting to bear fruit after opening her season last Saturday at the Velocity Fest meet at...
Navigating between two training environments may be a challenge for Olympic 100 metres hurdles bronze medallist Megan Tapper, but she says that her work is starting to bear fruit after opening her season last Saturday at the Velocity Fest meet at the National Stadium.
Tapper clocked 12.80 seconds to win the 100m hurdles event in a new meet record, as she looks to continue the momentum gained from her 2021 campaign. In her preparation for the 2022 World Championships, she has been dividing her training camps between Jamaica and locations overseas.
And while the process has not been easy, Tapper says that she is grateful for the opportunity, which she says has already started to pay off.
“I’m happy that I can train all across the world, because a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do that. Although it is hard leaving my husband and my family all the time, at the end of the day, I’m just really happy that I can do it and the results are coming,” Tapper said. “I can train with my European counterparts. I have a Finnish training partner and an Austrian training partner who I train with when I am away, so that’s helpful with the preparation.”
Those results were immediate, as it is the first time that she has opened a season in under 13 seconds. Tapper said that she was not only pleased that she was able to hold her poise throughout the race, but also how her speed has increased between the hurdles, which, for her, has been a testament to the coaching she has received.
“They know that is something that I have always struggled with, and they have been working with me on that – helping me to better my technique, and that is showing,” Tapper said. “I stayed more focused on myself. For your first race, you can be all over the place; and I am grateful that I was able to focus on myself and keep my technique till the end.”
While finding the balance between both camps, her success last year has not changed her approach this season, as she wants to continue getting better daily, not setting any goals into the future.
“You can make your goals, you can make your plans. But what you can control is being better, and bettering yourself every day,” Tapper said. “Coming off of a big year last year, I’m just trying to keep the momentum going; working hard at it and staying focused on the goal.”