Parchment relishing the underdog tag
Published:Sunday | August 20, 2023 | 12:09 AM
BUDAPEST, Hungary:
HE MAY not be in the same blistering form he was in last year in the build-up to the Oregon World Athletics Championships but Olympic 110-metre hurdles champion Hansle Parchment believes that going under the radar will prove to be an advantage.
Parchment hopes that this year things will be different as he begins his campaign at 6:05 a.m. in the 110m hurdles heats.
Parchment was in fine form last year in Oregon in July, progressing to the final when an injury forced him to pull out of the competition as well as the Commonwealth Games a month later in August.
While he might not be in the same form he was then, Parchment believes there are other things he has worked on that could put him in the hunt for a medal.
“I was further ahead last year compared to now based on how I was feeling. I was winning all my races and everything was going well. This year, a little bit slower. Still good. Learning a few things. I have been working on the start as well. I feel I am getting it more and more each day,” said Parchment.
“If I can execute the same kind of start that I have been doing in training, I will be much closer to everybody else which means that I can be competitive to the line.”
Parchment has been getting helpful advice from Lacina Golding Clarke, who has been on the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s coaching staff, ahead of tomorrow.
“She has been insightful, helping with a bit of correction here and there and just a part of the whole teamwork and putting everything together,” Parchment said
In a PUMA House interview on Wednesday, it was pointed out that Parchment has been in the position where he has not been at his best and still managed to get on to the podium.
While noting that it was not quite the same scenario as was the case when he won at the Tokyo Olympics, the sprint hurdler is still focused only on the task at hand.
“In Tokyo I was doing a lot of swimming because I had some injuries. Now I am doing a lot better. But the main event is what we are focusing on, not the other things in the build-up to it. So I am feeling good and I am looking forward to it,” Parchment said.