Nugent pleased with progress headed into Trials

“I AM very pleased,” said Ackera Nugent after she clocked 12.54 seconds to win the NACAC New Life Invitational World Continental Silver meet on Sunday.

Nugent is pleased that she is running fast in an event that promises to be one of the more competitive at this month-end’s National Championships inside the National Stadium.

The 100-metre hurdles has at least five athletes who could become national champions, and anybody who finishes in the top three has already met the qualification standards.

With that in mind, Nugent is happy to be going fast just weeks out from the championships, ominously dubbed ‘Trials’.

“I am in fantastic form and this performance has given me a lot of confidence,” she said.

Only Danielle Williams has gone faster than Nugent this year with 12.46 seconds, who, despite mining gold at two World Championships 10 years apart, has never been to an Olympic Games.

While Williams is ahead of the pack this season, getting it together are Yanique Thompson, who is recovering from injury last season. Thompson is not quite at her best yet but has gone 12.59, while Megan Tapper, who has only managed 12.83 this season, can never be counted out of a one-off race.

Tapper has already been to two Olympics and would like to make it three but youngsters like Demisha Roswell, 12.68, and Amoi Brown, 12.73, are waiting in the wings.

Another name that has not been mentioned often this season is Bitany Anderson.

Anderson, two years ago, was the fastest Jamaican over the distance by a long shot, but is having a so-so season after coming back from injury. Her 12.86 this season doesn’t speak to her talent and she could also put a good race together and book her ticket.