Back to basics for Dacres

by

June 15, 2017

Photo

Dacres

OSLO, Norway:

Jamaica's discus thrower Fedrick Dacres has gone back to basics and it has been paying dividends so far.

The former Calabar High standout, who now trains and studies at the University of the West Indies, has been steadily improving. His best throw of 68.88m, set in February at Excelsior High School, is the national record and world lead. Dacres credited a return to his old technique for the improvement.

"I have actually gone back to my high-school technique. Over the years I have actually been trying to seek out the proper technique and, based on analysis, my high-school technique was the best so I went back to it and it has been blossoming fruit."

The 23-year-old said he is comfortable with his throwing style, resulting in him being more confident than ever.

"Even without the world-leading mark, I am getting more comfortable competing at the international level, so with that comes confidence but, based on my shape, I feel good with where I am and that brings confidence."

Get more comfortable

Dacres will today compete in only his second Diamond League meet, at Oslo, Norway, where he will come up against reigning world champion Piotr Malachowski of Poland and the German brothers, Christoph and Robert Harting. Christoph is the reigning Olympics champion. His brother won the event at the 2012 Olympics.

"I am just here to compete and get more comfortable with the big guys so that when I reach Olympics, or World Championships, I am not shocked," Dacres said. "These are guys who, other than my world lead, are 60-metre throwers, and you have the Olympic champion and world champion in the field, so it should be good throwing. This meet should be exciting."

The other Jamaican down to compete is veteran Simone Facey, who will line up against reigning 200m world champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands and two-time World Championships silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast in the women's 200m.