It might sound far-fetched but a medal in the women’s 400m hurdles could very well be on the cards for Jamaica as Rushell Clayton could spring a surprise.

The talented athlete will bow into action today, and will have to run out of her skin to topple one of either American world record holder Dalilah Muhammad, her teammate and rising star Sydney McLaughlin and Ashley Spencer along with Czech Republic’s 32-year-old Zuzana Hejnova, world champion in 2013 and 2015 and an Olympic bronze medallist in 2012.

The 26-year-old Clayton will more than likely have to run below her lifetime best of 54.16 for a medal as the heat is loaded with some of the best 400m hurdlers of all time.

Muhammad’s world record is 52.20. Not far behind is McLaughlin with 52.85, Spencer stands at 53.11 and Hejnova personal best is 52.83 set in 2013 and a seasonal best of 54.11.

Clayton does have a victory over Hejnova at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London and that could give her a confidence boost.

“Preparation has been really good,” Clayton told the Jamaica Observer at the team’s Curve Hotel.

“I have had some great hurdles sessions since I have been here and I am looking forward to running on Tuesday. It’s my first World Championships and I am pretty excited,” she noted with a smile.

“I am just going out there to execute each round at a time and give of my best because that’s all I can do,” she added.

Clayton, who won bronze at the Pan American Games in July clocking 55.53 in Peru, said: “I would be satisfied with a medal; it doesn’t matter the colour.”

At the last World Championships in London, Jamaica gained a surprise bronze medal courtesy of Ristananna Tracey who clocked 53.74.

Jamaica’s history in the 400m hurdles of six medals inclusive of one gold, is second only to the USA who has 15 medals, including three gold.

At the first edition in 1983, Jamaica’s Ovrill Dwyer-Brown (58.40) and Sandra Farmer (57.97) were eliminated in the heats but Farmer would return in 1987 to make the final, finishing fourth in 54.38 seconds.

Then at the 1991 Tokyo edition, Farmer got married Farmer-Patrick, switched allegiance to the USA and was fourth in 53.95. In Stuggart 1993, Farmer-Patrick was second in 52.79.

But by then a young Deon Hemmings had emerged on the scene for Jamaica and she was sixth in the final in 54.99. History was created in 1995 as Hemmings won Jamaica’s first medal in the event, finishing third in 53.48. She went one better in Athens 1997 by copping silver in 53.09 second. Debbie-Ann Parris was fifth with 54.19.

Hemmings at the 1999 edition, was to earn her third medal this time finishing third in 53.16 with Parris eighth with 56.24. At Edmonton 2001 Parris was at it again and she finished fifth in 54.68 behind the great Nezha Bidouane of Morocco who was winning her second title.

In 2003 Paris and 2005 Helsinki championships, Jamaica failed to reach the finals while Nickiesha Wilson was fourth in 2007, clocking 54.10.

Then another piece of history was created at the 2009 Berlin championships as Melaine Walker won Jamaica’s first gold at the World Championships in the 400m hurdles with a splendid 52.42, which was just outside the world record by just 0.08 seconds. Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer was fourth in 53.56.

In 2011 in Daegu, Walker won silver in 52.73 and Spencer was fourth again in 54.01. Nickiesha Wilson returned in 2013 and was seventh in 57.34 as favourite Kaliese Spencer was disqualified after finishing first in her first round for a trailing leg violation.

Beijing 2015 saw Janieve Russell finishing fifth in 54.64 and Spencer eighth in 55.47 before Ristananna Tracey won Jamaica’s sixth medal at the 2017 London edition by copping bronze in 53.74 and was the only Jamaican female to win a medal at the Championships.