Jamaica Trials 400m hurdles will be hot – Clayton

Rushell Clayton, the 2019 World Athletics Championships 400 metre hurdles bronze medallist, says her event is going to be one of the most competitive at this year's National Championships. She expects to contend for a spot on Jamaica's team to Eugene, Oregon, host city of the Worlds this year, and in her estimation, the women's 400 hurdles team will be one of the hardest to make.

Speaking last Saturday at the National Stadium, Clayton shared her excitement. "The competition is great and I can see everybody coming out and giving their all and it's so good to see the competition is out there," she noted.

"Trials is going to be fire. It's going to be one of the best Trials ever. It's going to be one of the hardest to make but I'll be ready," added the woman who hurdled to a personal best 53.74 seconds to secure bronze in the 2019 final where American Dalilah Muhammad clocked a world record 52.16 seconds.

The record fell twice in 2021, with Sydney McLaughlin breaking the 52-second barrier ahead of Muhammad at the US Olympic Trials and surging to a new mark of 51.46 at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. "The 400m hurdles right now is one of the greatest events on the track, no doubt about it. You see what the ladies are doing across the world and here in Jamaica, it's gearing up to be good too," Clayton said.

The University of the West Indies graduate is readying herself for the challenge in new surroundings. After years at the Swept Track Club, she is now a member of the Elite Performance club and is coached by former St Elizabeth Technical head coach Reynaldo Walcott. Training, she reported, is not what she's used to. "I'm doing so many things different. It's been weird. My body has to be adjusting in so many different ways. There are days when I'm getting it. There are days when I'm not getting it but I'm enjoying the process," Clayton revealed.

She was smiling last Saturday, having just lowered her flat 400m personal best of 52.29 seconds at the latest meet in the Velocity Fest series. Two weeks earlier, in Bermuda, she faced two other contenders for the team to Eugene, Olympic finalist Janieve Russell and 2019 semi-finalist Shian Salmon, and clocked 55.89, ahead of Russell but behind Salmon.

Some of her joy comes simply from being able to compete. In 2021, injury locked her out of the Trials.

Her training partners now include the likes of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Rasheed Broadbell.

"There's a lot more sprinting, a lot more speed stuff because I'm in a camp where everybody is fast so you've got to get with it," the 29-year-old said.