Salmon wants world title to cap junior career

Hydel High School star quarter-miler Shian Salmon, is looking to add a World Under 20 Championships title to her rÈsume. Salmon said that adding a World title to her list of achievements would be the icing on the cake for her junior career.

"World Juniors (World Under-20 Championship) is very important to me because once you win at the World Juniors it means that you are number one in the world in your age group, and that would be a good mark for me," Salmon said after finishing fourth in the 400m flat for Under-20 girls at the All Comers meet at the weekend.

Salmon is the third-fastest competitor in the 400m hurdles for Under-20 girls this year.

RECORD-BREAKING

Her record-breaking 55.78-second effort at this year's ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships is only bettered by the sensational American Sydney McLaughin, whose 52.75s effort is the fastest overall time in the world. South Africa's Zeney van der Walt has the second-fastest Under-20 Girls' time at 55.05 seconds.

Her 52.05-second effort makes her the eighth-fastest competitor in the 400m flat. But even with the stark contrast, Salmon has not decided which of the events she will be concentrating on at the July 10 to 15 championships in Tampere, Finland.

"I am not sure as yet whether I will be concentrating on the 400m hurdles or the 400m flat. I am just trying to prepare as best as possible as I go through the rest of the season, and whichever one I am more comfortable with, then I will do that one at the championships," Salmon said.

After the championships, Salmon will continue her studies at the University of Texas at Austin.