Recovering Tracey sets sights on making Tokyo Olympic team
Since winning the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships in London 2017, Ristananna Tracey has had a terrible time with injuries that have stymied her career.
The former Edwin Allen standout was expected to go on to greater things after her World Championships success but problems with a tender Achilles tendon has seen her struggle to reach back to her 2017 levels, where she ran a personal best time of 53.74s.
But the 27-year-old is made of stern stuff and is hoping that 2020 will be another year of great success.
Speaking after winning her heat in the women’s 800m at the Queens/Grace Jackson Invitational Meet at National Stadium on Saturday, Tracey said that she is happy with how her season has been panning out so far.
“Things are great so far, I am just trying my best to adjust as best as possible.”
She warned, however, that her Achilles struggles continue.
“I am not out of the woods yet, as you all know, I am having niggling injuries from 2018. I have an Achilles tendon issue whereas sometimes it’s very tender, so to put on shoes or a spikes, it’s very hard for me to run in, so I am not out of the woods yet, but training so far is going great because he [Coach Okeil Stewart] adjusted my programme a bit. Some days I am off the track, so I think that’s going on fine so far,” Tracey said.
Her focus is squarely on the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer and she is certain that once she is healthy she will be donning the national colours once more.
“My main objective this season is to keep healthy because I think that’s most important. Once I am healthy, I should be on that [Olympic] team, and then once I make it to the Olympics, then my aim will most definitely be to get through the rounds and then, hopefully, reach the finals and also to get a medal,” Tracey noted.
Since her entry to the national stage, the women’s 400m hurdles has continued to show improvement in Jamaica and Tracey is delighted with the growth of her event on the island.
“I think it’s getting very competitive, and I must say I love that because gone are the days when you have the same persons making the team, but this time around I think it’s a good look for 400m hurdles in general,” she reasoned.
Tracey was disappointed with the pedestrian 2:18.12 minutes she ran in the 800m on Saturday, but blamed it on tactics not fitness.
“I must say I am a bit disappointed because I am running way faster than that in practice, but I think I was probably too relaxed. I was hoping to get some push today [Saturday], but unfortunately, I didn’t get it and I probably expected too much. I should have just gone and execute my race how I know I should, but overall I am grateful because I finished the race pain free,” she ended.
— Dwayne Richards