Hurdlers focused on most competitive World Champs ever

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY:

MEGAN TAPPER and Danielle Williams qualified through exceptionally fast first-round heats of the 100-metre hurdles, forcing them to declare the short and technical discipline the most competitive that it has ever been.

Tapper, Williams and teammate, Ackera Nugent, made it safely through to tonight’s semifinals as former world record holder Kendra Harrison, of the USA, set a world lead of 12.24 in the third of five qualifying races in the early evening Budapest heat.

The 2015 World champion and former Diamond League winner, Williams, was third in that heat in a season’s best, 12.51, also behind the national record set by the Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, while Tapper was forced to go stride for stride with world record holder, Tobi Amusan, before settling for second, while clocking an identical time to her compatriot.

Williams, who took the global crown in Beijing eight years ago, clout the final hurdle hard, so is confident that there is faster to come.

“I have a tendency to prepare for the line and take my mind off of the last hurdle when I approach it.

“It would mean the world to get on that podium, especially as this crop of ladies is the best there has ever been.

“I honestly didn’t expect the race to be that fast - I thought that about 12.50 - what I did - would be close to the winning time, but that’s the kind of form that many of these girls are in!”

“If they are running that fast in the first round it kind of scares me and means that I must go away and concentrate on clearing all the hurdles because the cleanest races are usually the quickest,” said Williams.

Williams has now been at the top of her game for a decade and added:

“It’s not a problem remaining competitive as we are a nation of winners and I’m always proud to represent Jamaica.”

Tapper, after coming within seven-hundredths of a second of her season’s best, said:

“I was not fully happy but it was my first race in a couple of weeks.

“At the end of the day it’s what you do in your lane – it doesn’t really matter who you are beside, who you are up against – everybody’s at level one at the start and whoever crosses that line first is the winner.”

With eyes filled with infectious enthusiasm, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist added:

“The hurdlers come to work and I’m really happy to be a part of this group of ladies.

“Every time we touch the track someone does something crazy and I’m proud to be part of that.”

Titleholder from Eugene last year and fastest ever over the sprint hurdles, Amusan, has been coached by Jamaica’s former Commonwealth 110-hurdles champion Lacena Golding-Clarke for the past eight years.

The Nigerian, who was cleared to defend her crown despite an initial whereabouts Violation and suspension, was quick to praise her Caribbean mentor, saying:

“I couldn’t be more thankful than to be coached by her in Alabama.

“But when I get out there, it’s me against the clock.”