Parchment not focusing on pressure
Anxious to see what young Broadbell, Bennett have to offer
Published:Wednesday | June 29, 2022 | 12:07 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Tokyo Olympic hurdles champion Hansle Parchment says he does not feel a target on his back heading into the World Athletics Championships and is more focused on his execution.
Parchment claimed the national men’s 110m title on Sunday, clocking 13.14 seconds, punching his ticket to Eugene, Oregon. Rasheed Broadbell and Orlando Bennett will join him having placed second and third with times of 13.20 and 13.28.
Outside of his own ambitions of a World Championship title, Parchment is excited about competing with the young Broadbell and Bennett, both in their early 20s.
“Those guys are young and they are very hungry to become stars, get medals, run fast times. So I am looking forward to competing with them. Hopefully, I can share some of my mental toughness with them and we can dominate the event,” Parchment said.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown and while that is no different for the reigning Olympic Champion, he has other things to focus on outside of the obvious target on his back.
“That is not something that I focus on and I don’t think someone, anyone, should focus on, because that takes away the time that you should be spending improving your work. I try not to think about that at all,” Parchment said.
That tunnel vision served him well at the National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships, when former World and Olympic champion Omar McLeod got a better start.
Parchment closed the gap on McLeod and powered through to the line for just his second national title.
While Parchment alluded to being healthy as a big contributor to winning the title, he also believes that confidence has been the catalyst for a strong season where he has not lost a race.
“We would like to think that (being healthy) is a big contributor but I was confident long before that. If it was a slower time then I would have still been confident because I know what I am capable of and I know what I can do,” Parchment said.
“I try to share that with my fellow teammates as well. It is about keeping that focus, that fighter instinct and that is what I try to maintain.”