Atlanta Olympic Games 400m hurdles women’s champion Deon Hemmings says Jamaica’s hurdlers must train harder if they are to challenge the rest of the world for top spots at next year’s World Championships set for Budapest, Hungary.

Hemmings, who in 1996 became the first Jamaican woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, noted that the country has high-quality 400m hurdlers, but she does not believe there is total dedication all around.

“I think maybe they need to train harder or want it more because I don’t think that they are that hungry,” Hemmings told the Jamaica Observer.

“They need to be very hungry; our past athletes who have won medals and have done well were very hungry and so I don’t think they are hungry enough and want it more,” she said.

Jaheel Hyde is the fastest Jamaican man in the world this year with a personal best time of 48.03 seconds, which he ran in placing sixth in the final of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the summer.

Alison dos Santos of Brazil, who won the gold medal, is the fastest over the one-lap obstacle event this season with a time of 46.29.

On the women’s side, Rushell Clayton was the fastest Jamaican this year with a time of 53.33, followed by Andrenette Knight (53.39) and the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell (53.52).

Their times this season are almost three seconds slower than the remarkable reigning world champion Sydney McClaughlin of the United States, who won the event in Eugene in a world record 50.68 seconds.

“We need more 400m hurdlers to go out, train and go compete with the Americans and Europeans who are doing exceptionally well,” Hemmings said.

She pointed out that Jamaica does not lack top-level coaches.

“I think the coaches are there because I know coaches who are coaching other athletes and those athletes have done well, and so I think it is mostly the athletes who want it more that will be successful in the event,” she said.

Veteran Coach Fitz Coleman agrees with Hemmings, noting that quality is not lacking but that some athletes might be shying away from the training rigours.

“I think in terms of quality… we have that here, but it is a case of how we package it, and so Deon is correct to a point, and so I would endorse what she said,” Coleman told the Observer.

“I think overall 400m runners have got faster and that has mushroomed into the 400m hurdlers, but I think that some of our people are afraid of putting in the kind of work that it takes,” he said.

“I think that if we are a little more patient and just do it gradually and get them there, I think… it will work. But it is going to take a big pitch on the part of the coach to get the athlete to buy into it,” Coleman stated.