Mon | Dec 30, 2024

Nugent: I will focus on my own race

Published:Saturday | August 10, 2024 | 12:08 AM
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent reacts after confirming that her non-automatic placing in the 100-metre hurdles semifinals yesterday was fast enough to gain a place in today’s final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nugent placed third in semifinal 3 in 12.44 secon
Gladstone Taylor
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent reacts after confirming that her non-automatic placing in the 100-metre hurdles semifinals yesterday was fast enough to gain a place in today’s final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nugent placed third in semifinal 3 in 12.44 seconds. The race was won in 12.35 by Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.

PARIS, France:

As she prepares to fly the flag for Jamaica in the women’s 100 metres hurdles final, national champion and record holder Ackera Nugent will focus on her own execution as she hopes to get Jamaica back-to-back Olympic medals in the event.

Nugent will be the lone Jamaican in the final today at 12:35 p.m., as reigning world champion Danielle Williams and Janeek Brown were unable to progress from their semi-finals yesterday. Williams clipped hurdle two and never recovered, finishing sixth in 12.82 seconds. Brown was seventh in her heat in 12.92 while Nugent finished third in 12.44, advancing to the final as a non-automatic qualifier.

Nugent, who will compete in her second major global championship final in as many years, said that the achievement was a blessing, considering complications leading up to her campaign.

“It is the grace of God, to be honest. Because, a week ago, I had a lot going on with myself and I was feeling so much pain, I had to go to the doctor. To be able to come and make the final, it’s a great feeling and I have to give God thanks,” Nugent said.

Nugent’s major global championship debut was last year in Budapest at the World Athletics Championships where she made the final on the first try, finishing fifth. In her first Olympic final on her debut, she knows that she will have to focus on herself and her own execution to have a chance at her first senior major global medal.

“The execution was a little bit rusty. But, at the same time, I have to learn to trust myself a little bit more and I hope I will be able to do that in the final. I just want to make sure that, when I go out there, I focus on the things I can control and focus on my own race,” Nugent said.

Nugent will line up in lane nine while reigning champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn will be in lane seven. World leader Masai Russell will be in an inside lane along with her American teammates Grace Stark and Alaysha Johnson.

Brown, who wanted to see all three Jamaicans in the final, is rooting for Nugent, believing she is capable of podium success

“Anything is possible, it is a hurdle race. I hope she goes out there and focus and keep her composure and do her best,” Brown said.

Jamaica got their first Olympic medal in the event at the Tokyo Games in 2021 when Megan Tapper got bronze.

Daniel Wheeler