Tina Clayton to run with juniors at Trials

Having dallied with the possibility of World Under-20 100 metre champion Tina Clayton running with the seniors at the upcoming National Championships, Edwin Allen High School coach Michael Dyke has brushed the idea aside. Dyke says the women's 100m is very competitive and will defer the upward move to next season.

Asked late in May about Tina running with the big girls, Dyke said, "Since then, I really brushed that aside and let her concentrate at the junior level because the women's 100m at this stage is very competitive, especially among the seniors. So I'd rather she wait her turn."

Jamaica went one-two-three in the 2021 Olympic final and has six women under 11 seconds this year. With this in mind, the coach reasoned, "After this year then I think that will be the time to step up into the big league but I don't want to push her up too early and then to get her discouraged because she's not accustomed to losing like that, even though I know she'd definitely hold her own but waiting on the right time."

Dyke says Clayton is doing well in her preparations to become the first back-to-back World Under-20 100m champion.

"She has been progressing very well, you know," he said. "We're taking the build-up, I would say slowly and carefully because the World Under-20 is way down in August so I have to be careful how I plan for her to make sure that she peaks at the right time for the Championship."

Clayton clocked a personal best of 11.09 seconds to win the gold in the sprint friendly altitude of Nairobi last year and Dyke is revisiting the training plan that produced that result.

"I sort of mirrored what I did the last time, which I think worked very well for her," he said. "It will work again, hopefully."

The man who guided her to the Carifta Under-20 100m title in April says Clayton understands the process.

"She is one athlete that you can depend on to work with you and understand what is happening," he said. "So if she goes to a meet this weekend and gets beaten, for example, or she doesn't run a fast time, she knows what is happening."

Clayton won the 100m at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Junior Development meet at Jamaica College in 11.15 seconds on Saturday. That's her fastest time of the season and the second best of her life.

Her teammate Serena Cole was second in 11.17 seconds.

A key component of Clayton's training will be to improve her start and he has pinpointed her response to the starter's pistol.

"It's obviously reaction because she's been reacting a bit slow getting out of the blocks," Dyke analysed, "so she keeps getting left in the blocks. So we're trying to work on that because once she can get out that first 30m getting out the blocks, it will be all over."