Lee ready to bid for spot to worlds
MONTEGO BAY, St James — After an outstanding junior career, triple world age-group champion Dexter Lee is ready for the next challenge — tackling the big boys of the world of sprinting.
Lee, who became the first man to successfully defend the IAAF World Junior 100m title when he won the blue riband event last July in Canada, returned to Jamaica last year to resume training with high school coach Claude Grant at Herbert Morrison Technical.
The young sprinter, who is part of the Claude Bryant-managed On-Track Management group, spent the better part of the past 18 months in Atlanta, Georgia, where he trained under the watchful eyes of Anthony Carpenter.
According to Lee, moving back to Montego Bay has been smooth and training for the 2011 season has been going well.
“Things have been going well so far,” he reported. “I just have to keep focused and keep pushing myself always trying for the best.”
However, the 20-year-old, who has an eye on forcing his way into the Jamaica team to the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in August, is aware of the mountains he will have to climb to make the toughest team in the world.
“This year is going to be tough, so I have to go out there and perform at my best,” he conceded.
The three-time ‘Boys Champs’ gold medallist and many-time CARIFTA champion has a personal best of 10.16 seconds set at a meet in Spain last year, which places him outside the top 10 of Jamaican men currently competing.
Given the extremely cold weather in parts of the United States, Lee said it was good to be back home training.
“I am happy to be back where I started and so far it has been going well,” he said, adding that his coach had thrown in some new wrinkles in the training.
“Training is a bit harder this year, coach has stepped it up a bit and we are doing a lot more technical stuff.”
As for his first meet of the season, Lee said they have not discussed that yet, but he should start competing in February.
Double World Junior 100-metres champion Dexter Lee at a training session recently. (Photo: Paul Reid)
