Omar McLeod taking measured approach to World Championship year
Published:Sunday | May 1, 2022 | 12:10 AMRobert Bailey - Gleaner Writer
After recovering from a series of injuries this season, 2016 Olympic and 2017 World 110-metre hurdles gold medallist Omar McLeod said he is taking a much smarter approach to the season this year, as he seeks to regain the world title in Eugene, Oregon.
In his second race of the season at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia yesterday, McLeod clocked a season’s best 13.22 seconds for second place in the men’s 110m hurdles. The race was won by American Devon Allen in 13.11.
McLeod told The Sunday Gleaner he has been working a lot harder in training this year, which means he has to also take a more measured approach to the way he competes.
“I am very pleased with it [time] because I have been running a lot in training so we are not race sharp yet and we are just building and trying to peak at the right time,” said McLeod.
“I am very focused, especially after the mishap last year because I am in a place where I am a lot smarter in my approach this season. I am learning a lot and I am still growing and so this season, we are going to time it perfectly so see what we got,” he said.
McLeod failed to defend his Olympic Games title in Tokyo after he fell at the National Trials and did not make the Jamaican team.
FULLY RECOVERED
McLeod, who has a personal best time of 12.90 in the event, said he has now also fully recovered from a quad injury and a sports hernia operation.
“Like coach told me, we just need to keep building, one race at a time and each race that we run we are going to get faster and faster,” McLeod said.
“I am happy with how I executed. It was a clean race and it is up from here,” he said.
“I am feeling really good because we are still loaded. We are being very strategic with this season and so I don’t want to run fast early and so I am kind of like one race at a time and keep going,” said the former Manchester High and Kingston College athlete.