Rhoden takes aim at World Championship team

JAMAICA’S TAREES Rhoden is at the midpoint of a fine season that he hopes will climax with a place at the World Athletics Championships this August.

The former Kingston College track and field captain has already set personal bests for both the indoor and outdoor 800 metres and now he sees himself racing in black, green, and gold aginst the world’s best.

Coached by Jamaican Mark Elliot at Clemson University in the United States, Rhoden has moved his best 800 time from 1 minute, 47.43 seconds last year to 1:46.20.

Speaking just after an easy anchor leg secured Clemson its first Penn Relays title since 1999 in the sprint medley, the 22-year-old Rhoden reached for the skies. “I’ve been trusting my coach, listening, doing the right stuff, eating well, trying to stay healthy and I’m getting the results that I wanted,” said the young man, who clocked 1:49.04 to win the bronze medal at the 2019 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

His next target is 1:44.70 seconds, the World Athletics Championships qualifying mark. Without a hint of blustery, he detailed: “I’m looking to gain the qualifying standard for the World Championship soon, but I’m just staying healthy, staying focused and I’m hungry for it.”

GRATEFUL FOR VICTORY

He looked easy splashing through the chilly rain that blessed the Penn sprint medley final. His long strides gobbled up a 10-metre deficit, and piloted him to an anchor leg split time of 1:50.8 seconds as Clemson beat the University of Connecticut in 3:23.12.

“It was not too difficult by looking at the field and the competitors, so I just came out here and executed. I was feeling a little bit of pain so I kind of changed my race plan but I came here and I got it done and I’m just grateful for the victory,” said Rhoden.

That was his second trip to the track at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Almost two and a half hours earlier, he ran the first leg for Clemson in the 4x400 heats.

Asked what plans he and coach Elliot have for the rest of 2023, he replied, “The goal is to go to the World Championships, but you know, the goal for me personally is to go at least 1.44, you know, go put Jamaica on the map, you know, and he’s like a father figure. He’s like a friend. He’s just more than a coach, the relationship that we have. So I’m just listening to him. I’m trusting him. I believe in him.”