2004 Athens Olympic 400-metre hurdles silver medallist Danny McFarlane (right), who announced his comeback from retirement, handed J$250,000 worth of Reebok gear to Rose-Ann Jones of the Atlethico Union track club of Montego Bay at Saturday's seventh staging of the Queen's Grace Jackson meet at Stadium East. Coach Garth Smythe (centre) shares in the moment. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

FOUR months after announcing his retirement from international track and field - citing a lack of support from the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) - Olympic 400-metre hurdles silver medallist Danny McFarlane has had a change of heart.

Moment's after clocking 48.59 seconds to finish fifth in the 400m hurdles final on August 28, 2007 at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, McFarlane told journalists that he was retiring. "If Jamaica wants me (to continue running). I guess the JAAA, they have to talk to me and I think whoever is in charge, (is) supposed to talk to me," he demanded at the time.

However, it was not the JAAA who convinced the 2004 Sportsman of the Year to come out of retirement, but his Sportswear company Reebok.

"I'm definitely coming back because my sponsor, Reebok, came in and said I was good enough to compete again and they put a package (contract) together and based on all that I'm back," McFarlane told the Observer in an exclusive interview at Saturday's seventh staging of the Queen's/Grace Jackson track meet at Stadium East.

"I always think I'm good enough to compete, but as I said before (in Japan ) I was kind of fed-up, but since myself and Reebok put this deal together, I'll be here again running and hopefully I can go out there and do the best," added the four-time national 400 hurdles champion, who indicated that he will be competing at Friday's Millrose Games in New York, USA.

"At first, it was retirement... but once I start to compete again the Jamaican public can look out for the best of me because I'll never go on the track and short-change myself and the public, so I'm definitely going to run hard again 'cause I'm currently in good shape," he explained.

McFarlane, a native of St Mary, who has career-best times of 44.90secs over 400 metres and 48.00secs in the 400m hurdles, helped Jamaica win three indoor relays (two bronze and one silver), as well as four outdoor (one silver and three bronze) medals between 1997 and 2003.

McFarlane, who will celebrate his 36th birthday in June, told the Observer he was confident of becoming the first Jamaican man to win two Olympic medals in the 400-metre hurdles.

"Based on the current group of hurdlers I think I have a good shot again of winning a medal because I ran 48.32 in the semi-final in Osaka and running in lane nine was the problem... So I think I'm still one of the best in the world," he said.

"The competition is still going to be good because you have Felix Sanchez from the Dominican Republic, Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson and the other Americans; Marek Plawgo of Poland, Periklís Iakovákis from Greece and the South African Van Zyl... you have a whole group of us, but I just believe it will come down to the better prepared man on the day that is going to come out on top," said McFarlane, who noted that Clement is definitely the man to beat as he is the speediest of the lot.

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