The men’s 400m hurdles will be one of the most wide open events at this weekend’s JAAA Olympic Trials at the National Stadium, and Annsert Whyte thinks he is well placed for a first Olympic Games berth.

The soft-spoken Racers Track Club athlete had a set back early in the season with a recurring hamstring injury but ran a season’s best 49.25 seconds for fourth place at the Racers Grand Prix three weeks ago and says he is on pace for one of the three spots in the team.

Presently, Whyte, who like several other Jamaican intermediate hurdlers were influenced by Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane, changing events from the 400m well into their careers is the third-ranked Jamaican on the IAAF list, behind Roxroy Cato and junior Jaheel Hyde.

Additionally, there are several others snapping at his heels, Andre Clarke and former 800m runner Ricardo Cunningham, another with the ‘Danny McFarlane effect’.

Both Clarke and Cunningham lowered their personal best at the final JAAA All-comers meet two weeks ago and are expected to push the top three all the way to the line.

Whyte, who advanced to the semi-finals at the last two IAAF World Championships, in Moscow 2013 and Beijing last year, told the Observer he was in good shape and expected a lifetime best at the Racers Grand Prix.

“I felt good going into the race today and was expecting either a season’s best or personal best, I got the season’s best so I am thankful,”

He explained that an issue at the start of the race threw him off.

“My blocks shifted at the start and that threw me off my stride pattern and messed up the first part of the race but I got back my rhythm later so that was good for me.”

After back-to-back qualification for the World Championships, the next hurdle for him he says is making it to Rio for the Olympics and possibly a shot at the finals.

Before he can book his ticket to Rio however, he knows he must perform at the Trials.

“I am doing well in training, I am feeling great and ready for Trials and all I need to do is go back to training and get the steps right.”

He was not prepared to predict any times for this weekend however saying only that “I just need to be ready to run fast and enjoy myself.”