Clarke quietly excited about Budapest

Nineteen-year-old 400 metres hurdler Roshawn Clarke made a giant step forward at last month’s National Championships with his winning time of 47.85 seconds. Now, with the 19th World Athletics Championships just around the corner, he’s quietly optimistic about his prospects.

Speaking on Monday, a day before the Jamaica team headed for Budapest, Hungary, for a pre-meet camp, Clarke calmly said: “It’s exciting because as a little youth coming up, you always dream of being the best so to see that coming out nicely, as planned, it’s a really exciting feeling and I wish for more to come, and I’m really happy to see how far I’ve come.”

The 47.85 not only equalled the world under-20 record set in 2021 by American Sean Burrell but it also made the Okeile Stewart-trained hurdler the second Jamaican to break 48 seconds.

“I’m pretty grateful, excited very much,” he remarked in measured tones.

Winner of his second Carifta Games gold medal with a time of 49.92 seconds on April 9, Clarke is jointly the sixth fastest hurdler in the world now.

The Swept Track Club athlete feels there is more in store.

“After the Trials, we rested for three and a half weeks, thereabout. Then we went to an American Track League meet last week to get rid of some of the rust. So, I went there, executed my race and clocked 48.52. So, I feel pretty well now, not really worrying about anything, just going out there as anybody else trying to make myself proud, my family and my nation, get myself to the final, challenge for a medal,” explained the 2022 World Under-20 bronze medal winner.

GRATEFUL

Winthrop Graham set the national record – 47.60 – and won both of Jamaica’s World Championships medals, a silver in 1991 and a bronze in 1993. Asked if he could one day match those achievements, Clarke replied: “At the National Championships, I thought I would break that record, but you know, it didn’t come as I expected but I’m still pretty grateful because it’s right there and I know in myself that I could, and I can go much faster now.”

Records won’t be in the forefront of his mind in Budapest.

“I’m going to go out there (World Champs), do my best, not worrying too much about national records or whatever it may be. Just run my race and I’m sure the time will come,” he said.

The tall lad from Waterhouse will run with Stewart’s advice ringing in his ears.

“He always says to me, even before the National Trials, ‘don’t worry about anybody. Don’t watch anybody. Run your own race. Stay in your own lane. Execute and once you execute, the time will come’, “ the 2022 Camperdown High School Boys Championships captain recounted.