Russell targets national record at Prefontaine

Janieve Russell says that she is raring to go at the Prefontaine Classic, in the IAAF Diamond League meet at Eugene, Oregon, tomorrow. There, she said, she is aiming to give the performance of her career.

Russell, who has been steadily building a remarkable season thus far, promised to break Melaine Walker's national record of 52.42 seconds this year, and she has hinted that it could happen as early as tomorrow.

"Next week (tomorrow) in Eugene," Russell answered after competing at the Jamaica International Invitational Meet (JIIM) last Saturday, when asked when she would be going after the record. "Prefontaine is going to be a very tough field, so you know with a tough field, you are going to be drawn out. I think it is going to be a fast race, and I want to produce a fast time."

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She said: "With the likes of Dalilah Muhammad, Shamier Little, and Ashley Spencer, it will be a fast race."

Russell, who registered her personal best of 53.78 seconds two weeks ago at the Shanghai leg of the IAAF Diamond League meet, says that if she corrects her technique over the final hurdle, she can erase Walker's record.

"The objective is to run under 53 seconds. I want to get the national record. I am going after it this year. If I don't get it this year, then definitely next year," Russell said after cruising to a comfortable 54.23-second victory in the event at the JIIM.

Along with the three Americans Russell has listed, the field at Eugene will also include Cassandra Tate and Georganne Moline from USA, Sage Watson from Canada, and Zuzana Hejnova from the Czech Republic.

Russell's 53.78 seconds makes her the third-fastest competitor in the event this year behind Muhammad's 53.77, and the American teenage sensation Sydney McLaughin's 52.75 seconds effort, which is also the World Under-20 record.