Lyston will not double at junior nationals – coach
Published:Thursday | May 12, 2022 | 12:11 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
COREY BENNETT, head coach of Hydel High School, said his charge, Brianna Lyston, will only be contesting the 200 metres at the National Junior Trials at the National Stadium from June 23-26.
Lyston is the fastest Jamaican junior athlete this year in both the 100m and 200m.
The 17-year-old Lyston, a former St Jago athlete, ran 11.14 seconds in March of this year at the Central Championships at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in St Catherine. Her time is the second fastest in the world this year behind Kenya’s Christine Mboma, who has run 10.97.
Lyston, who won the 200m at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships in a new meet record and personal best time of 22.53, is also ranked second in the world behind Mboma’s time of 21.87.
Lyston’s only defeat in any of the sprints this season came in the 100m at Champs, where she was beaten into second by Edwin Allen’s Tina Clayton.
Bennett, who has been coaching Lyston for the past three seasons, told The Gleaner Lyston is much more comfortable running the 200m and therefore that is where they will paint their target at the National Trials.
“That (200m) is where we will be focussing at the National Trials,” said Bennett.
COMFORTABLE RACE
“It is her more comfortable race and we have to just zone in on one event because it is a bit late in the season, and so we have just targeted the race that we think that she stands a good chance of doing well in,” he said.
The soft-spoken Lyston said she intends to lower her personal best time in the 200m.
“I am looking forward to the National Trials because I will be competing only in the 200m there and I am very excited about it,” said Lyston.
“I am hoping to better my personal best time in the 200 metres at the championships,” she said.
Lyston added that there were a few things that she needed to work on in training before the Trials.
“I think that there is room for improvement in terms of some minor things throughout the race that I am going to be working on before the Trials,” she said.
“I just try to zone in whenever I am competing. So, if there is anything negative, I just block it out until after the championships, but I will be ready for the Trials,” Lyston said.