Hyde takes major step with 48.03 clocking
Published:Thursday | July 21, 2022 | 12:08 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
EUGENE. Oregon:
JAHEEL HYDE’S first global championship final has only served to whet his appetite for more, saying he has taken one step closer to his ultimate goal - to challenge for major medals.
Hyde finished sixth in a personal best time of 48.03 seconds in Tuesday’s 400m hurdles final, an event won by Brazilian Alison dos Santos in a championship record, 46.29. Hyde finished ahead of Olympic champion and world-record-holder, Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who was seventh in 48.42.
The 25-year-old, who is no longer satisfied with just making senior teams, said he feels that he has taken a major step toward fulfilling the potential that saw him winning medals consistently as a junior.
Hyde was twice World Junior champion over the 400 hurdles and once an under-18 champion over the 110 hurdles.
“I’ve never lost sight of that. I’m just getting one step closer. I just want to finish out the season strong and just move on to next season,” Hyde said.
While running the race of his life, Hyde said he still felt some disappointment with the way he executed the latter stages of the final.
PROUD
According to the Commonwealth Games 2018 bronze medallist, he still gave himself the best chance of getting on the podium and was proud of being able to improve on his personal best.
“I couldn’t have run that race any other way, to be honest. I did what I could on the day, which was my best. So I am happy,” Hyde said.
Hyde’s coach, Okeile Stewart, concurred with his assessment, saying that Hyde will benefit from the experience.
“I couldn’t have asked too much more of him, especially in the latter part of the event because his body would have gone somewhere that it has never gone before and it has to make adjustments in doing so,” Stewart told The Gleaner.
“That he has done what he did, we are expecting that the body will now understand what is required and now adjust and as such it will not be such a burden when he competes in the future.”
It is a future that Stewart says he is looking forward to.
“I said that I was proud of his achievement, I’m glad that he would have learnt something from that race without even telling me. And we look forward to greater days ahead,” Stewart said.
Hyde says he now knows what it takes to, not only get back to the stage, but to get on the podium.
“You just have to always be at your best. Running with these guys, you always have to have your A-game,” Hyde said.