Roderick Myles was in a perfect position to observe the beginning, growth and development of 2019 World Championships medallists Danniel Thomas-Dodd and Rushell Clayton. After all, he coached them both in their formative years at Frome Technical High School in western Westmoreland’s sugar cane belt.

Thomas-Dodd won a historic silver medal in the shot put on Thursday with a best of 19.47 metres, just missing the gold, while Clayton won the bronze medal in the 400-m hurdles a day later in a big personal best 53.74 seconds to join an impressive list of Jamaican women who have medalled in the intermediate hurdles.

Myles, who played a big part in the early development of both athletes, was also instrumental in getting the football-mad denizens of Frome to consider track and field, even for the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ and Girls’ Championships.

A former athlete himself at Manning’s School, Myles said he saw the “potential in both of these young ladies” from the early goings, and described both as hard workers who push themselves to the limit.

They both followed the same path for a while, leaving Frome Technical to attend school elsewhere, a decision that was not very popular at the school but then, while Thomas-Dodd opted to attend college in the USA at Kent State in Ohio, Clayton stayed home and attended several local tertiary institutions.

Myles mused that had Clayton not made academics a priority she might have had her big breakthrough before this year.

“Rushell was one of the first athletes to show up at training and one of the last to leave, and she would get really frustrated when she did not get things to go the way she wanted it to go,” Myles told the Jamaica Observer Friday night.

“Danniel was the hard worker. She used to take the shot put home with her and would get a few throws in before she came to school in the mornings,” he said.

Myles, who credits the Rev Jennifer Mullings — a physical education teacher at the school — with his move to Frome Technical in 2007, said it was not easy as he first had to get both women, among others, to believe in their abilities. He also had to get the school’s board and administration to keep the programme alive.

He had more success in the former as the time came when Frome Technical had to choose between football, netball and track and field — and both athletes also had to make the tough decisions whether to stay at Frome or to leave.

“Danniel was a very good netball player; she was the centre and Frome always did well and went far in the ISSA competition. So she was never able to start track work until January, and so she was always behind in her preparation,” he told the Sunday Observer. “We finally had that talk where I suggested that if she did not get called up to the national programme, then she might consider giving track and field her full attention.”

Clayton, he said, had shown her potential, finishing fourth in the Class 3 400m at Girls’ Champs, and running 2 minutes 16.00 seconds plus in the 800m on grass at the County of Cornwall Athletics Association Western Champs.

“I always thought Rushell had what it takes to go to the next level. She is a hard worker and very disciplined. Other coaches, very good coaches, saw her potential as well,” he said, hinting that had she taken up other offers she might have been in a global final before this year.

“It’s been a long journey for Rushell, longer than I thought it would be,” he said, “but with her background and work ethic, this is the start for her. I can see her running sub-53.00 seconds and stay on top for the next five years or so,” Myles added.

In relation to Thomas-Dodd, Myles said: “She is not far off the 20.00-m mark. She is very competitive and it’s only a matter of time before she wins at either the World Champs or the Olympics.”