Unexpected breakthrough lifts Yanique Thompson

By the time Yanique Thompson of the SprinTec Track Club heard the times for the 100 metres hurdles at last Saturday’s JAAA All-Comers meet at Jamaica College, she was content. The figure she heard – 13.02 seconds – felt like a good return as she continued her comeback from Achilles tendon surgery. However, she had heard the time for second place. Her time was actually 12.87 and constituted a breakthrough.

“Well, that’s a surprise. I never knew I was under 13, I thought they said 13-0. If it’s 13, that’s pretty good for me,” she responded after the race. Pressed further, she revealed a surprising statistic. “Oh wow! I’ve never run 12 before Trials though. That’s a big deal for me,” she gushed.

The Spanish Town native was World Under-18 champion 10 years ago, and in that effort became the first hurdler in that age group to break 13 seconds. Since then, the former Holmwood Technical High School standout under coach Maurice Wilson has reached the semi-finals at the World Championships twice, in 2017 and 2019 and at the 2021 Olympic Games. Add a 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, and she has a portfolio to be proud of.

She also has the experience of untimely injuries and lost the 2016 and 2022 seasons completely. That’s why her winning time on Saturday means so much to her.

In fact, her only pre-Nationals sub-13 came in gaining that Commonwealth bronze medal and she and GC Foster/SprinTec coach Wilson timed her peak for April when the Games were on the Gold Coast in Australia.

Overall, Thompson has broken 13 in 20 different races and her career benchmark is 12.67 seconds.

With her 2022 season wrecked, she is taking a timely approach to a 2023 campaign that will meet a major crossroads at the July 6-9 National Championships. Jamaica has a brilliant group of women in the 100m hurdles, led this year by US college champion Ackera Nugent. Nugent has the fastest time by a Jamaican this year, at 12.43 seconds, and there are eight others under 13.

Among them is Crystal Morrison, the former Carifta Games champion, who was the runner-up at Jamaica College.

Thompson, now 27, isn’t worrying too much. Asked about her training in the last month she said: “You know, I’ve been just taking it one step at a time. I’ve been getting better each day, so compared to where you saw me last time, I am be in a better position now because as I said, it’s closer to the Trials and I’m just taking it a day at a time.”