FORMER Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion Deon Hemmings-McCatty says compatriot Melaine Walker has the capacity to break the world record in the event.

Speaking to the Observer after Tuesday’s launch of the Bigga/JISA inter Prep School Track and Field Championships, Hemmings-McCatty said Walker is likely to beat Russian Yuliya Pechonkina ‘s six year-old record of 52.34 seconds in the near future.

“Melaine is getting older and getting more mature and she is doing an excellent job. The only thing she needs is the world record. It may not happen this year, but next year at the World Champs is (a) good (time),” Hemmings-McCatty said.

“She has turned out to be a very good athlete and has maintained our tradition, especially for the 400 hurdles. She’s strong mentally, and that has a lot to do with her success.

“She is also a very technical athlete,” added the 41-year-old former Jamaican star.

Walker is the reigning Olympic and world champion after recording sensational victories in Beijing in 2008 and Berlin a year later.

Hemmings-McCatty, who surprised many at the Atlanta Games in 1996 when she clocked an Olympic best of 52.82 to beat the favoured United States pair of Kim Batten and Tonja Buford- Bailey, pointed out that one similarity stood out between herself and Walker.

“I was just an average athlete, so I didn’t have great success at high school like others have had. I do see a similarity in that we share the same kind of mentality,” Hemmings-McCatty said.

“I remember her not running well throughout last season and she used whatever positives she had and… went out there and kicked everybody’s butt. I know it takes a lot mentally to do that and she did it in fine style.”

Despite her stunning performances at the Olympic Games, Walker started last year’s World Championship as second favourite to United States Lashinda Demus, who held a then world-leading time of 52.63. Conversely, the Jamaican seemed to be struggling for form and had been trounced by Demus a month before the championships.

However, Walker ran her season’s best (53.26) in the semi-final before exacting revenge on the American in the final with a winning time of 52.42 — just 0.08 shy of Pechonkina’s record.

Hemmings-McCatty says other Jamaican athletes have also caught her attention and their successes have led to sponsors being attracted to the island.

“I like watching (Usain) Bolt, (Shelly- Ann) Fraser and Asafa Powell at their best and I’m also looking forward to seeing other young athletes like Kaliese Spencer to keep the tradition of 400 hurdles going,” she told the Observer.

“It’s good to see where we’re coming from and seeing that we’re competing at the world level and to see the athletes training here! Back in my time you didn’t have all these shoe companies coming and everybody coming here and sponsoring these athletes.”

Hemmings-McCatty, who attended Central State University in Ohio, USA, says with the improvement of local facilities, athletes no longer needed to risk their health at overseas colleges.

“Athletes can stay here and get better and they don’t have to go to college in the States where they get burnt out. When you’re home the coaches here look towards bigger things,” she stated.

“Yes, they may run you at high school, but when you reach university here they don’t run you as much because they focus on the international level. Their intention is for you to be better at the international level than at the college level,” she stated.

“The one thing that helped me was that I didn’t run much at high school level, but at college I ran like four events and helped them to championships..,” she said.