Bennett hails Mills ahead of second World Champs appearance

EUGENE, Oregon:

The young career of hurdler Orlando Bennett took a significant step three years ago when as a teenager, he made his first World Championships team in Doha, Qatar

Three years later, the 22-year-old hopes that his elevated mentality, honed by Racers Track Club, will serve him well the second time around here in Eugene as he hopes to be part of the strong hurdling core hunting medals in 2022.

Bennett, who finished third at the National Championships two weeks ago, says that his shift in his mental approach was all part of the confidence instilled by coaches Craig Sewell and Glen Mills, which he said was lacking

“Discipline has never been a problem for me. (But) mentally, going to Racers Track Club, I have learnt to stop doubting myself and to just work more on that belief factor that anything is possible once you put your mind to it and put your all to it and put God first,” Bennett told The Gleaner. He (Mills) tends to have that motivation factor which gets you to believe in yourself on such a level that you are feeling superhuman. So I have to give a lot of credit to coach Mills for that.”

The factor that played into that self-doubt he said was during that 2019 campaign in which he had struggled to run 13.50 seconds, the form only increasing the uncertainty that was hanging over him.

“It wasn’t a big surprise to me in making the team, but I had a very interesting season going into the trials, struggling to run 13.50 seconds. So when I made that jump to 13.27, it was a spectacular jump. What was on my mind was repeating, and basically, as a youngster, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and always do my best. But that is in the past,” Bennett said. “We take the lessons and we move forward.”

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Moving forward has been Bennett’s mantra in 2022, where he matched his personal best in the first round of the National Championships and then clocked 13.28 in the final. Grateful for that 2019 experience, Bennett says that his increased confidence comes with his maturity at the event and his personal growth, hoping to continue the momentum in the event for Jamaica that Tokyo Olympic champion Hansle Parchment set last year.

“It’s very inspiring for the athletes coming up, and also it tells you that there is a future there for us to be the best in the world despite what our competitors do throughout the season. It was an incredible experience at that age, at my first World Championships. I am trying not to be nervous this time,” Bennett said. “I don’t think nervousness is a factor this year. I am more mature, faster, and stronger. I just have to go out there and execute and keep my mind on the right wavelength.”

The first round of the men’s 110m hurdles begins on Saturday.