Fri | May 3, 2024

De’Jour Russell still believes

Published:Wednesday | June 28, 2023 | 1:33 AMHubert Lawrence/Gleaner Writer
Former World Under-18 champion, De’Jour Russell clears a hurdle on his way to winning the 110-metre hurdles event at the JAAA Quest for Budapest series track meet at the Jamaica College Ashenheim Stadium on Saturday.
Ricardo Makyn
Former World Under-18 champion, De’Jour Russell clears a hurdle on his way to winning the 110-metre hurdles event at the JAAA Quest for Budapest series track meet at the Jamaica College Ashenheim Stadium on Saturday.

BELIEVE IT or not, there’s no automatic ticket that entitles a young prospect to success in athletics at the professional level. If you question that assertion, just ask hurdles debutant De’Jour Russell. He is patiently waiting for his time to shine.

On Saturday, Russell produced a season’s best of 13.62 seconds to win the 110-metre hurdles at the JAAA All-Comers meet at Jamaica College. It was a ragged effort but sufficient to hold training partner Odario Phillips at bay by 0.02. The 2017 World Under-18 champion was nevertheless a happy winner.

“First of all, I want to say thank God, you know, because without God, we’re not here but it wasn’t a clean race for me. So much to improve. In training, we’re doing so much and we just need to keep the mental and put it out on the track because in training, we’re going super fast,” said Russell.

During his glory years at Calabar High School, Russell reached the 2018 Commonwealth final and won the sprint hurdles in every class. However, the last few years have been difficult.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but I battle with my weight a lot and transitioning to this professional level, I hit a sudden stop when it comes on to the weight. Injuries, injuries lead to depression. Depression leads into resentment of training, and you know everything just crumbles, but you know, with the grace of God and the support of family and friends, I’m bouncing back, and I’m really grateful, really, really grateful,” the burly 23-year-old hurdler explained.

The powerful Jamaican started his season with double duty on April 22, clocking 13.82 in the hurdles and 10.57 seconds in the 100 metres. Now, he’s within sight of his personal best, 13.32 seconds from 2017.

He credits coach Fitz Coleman and training partner Hansle Parchment for easing his path back on to the Jamaica hurdles radar.

“He [Coleman] believed when everybody turned their back on me because of the same weight and everyone gave me the cold shoulder, and he saw the talent and he stuck with me,” Russell recounted.

“ I’m here right now, coming back strong, slowly but surely and I believe. Once I believe, I know I’m going to get the reward.”

Russell was just as generous in his praise for Parchment.

“Training with Hansle is awesome. Great motivator, a great person to look up to, not only on the track but off the track. Family guy, who shows you what it is to be a professional athlete.”