Mathue Tapper, husband and coach of national 100m hurdler Megan Tapper, says that in spite of what he considered a difficult season for her in 2022, it was a success.

Megan, who claimed Jamaica’s first-ever Olympic medal — a bronze — in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, did not medal at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last summer as she did not get past the semi-final round. However, she clocked a personal best (PB) of 12.51 seconds later that season.

Still, Mathue is counting their blessings.

“I would say it was a successful year,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“There were tons of injuries. So many little things happened in 2022. Boy, the hurdles that we had to clear off the track were a lot bigger than people would understand. For her to still be able to run a PB was amazing to me. Two weeks before that, we were hardly training. So, we’re really, really grateful that she was able to compete the way she did in 2022. I know that if this year [2023] goes even a quarter better, I’m excited to see what she’ll do.”

While Mathue says he is not yet able to get into details about Megan’s schedule for 2023, which will feature the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next summer, he says her preparation during the off-season has been pleasing so far.

“She’s spent most of her off-season thus far in Austria,” he said. “My work really starts now. Based on what we’ve been seeing and the results that we’ve been getting, she’s really driven. So, we’re just hoping for the best and as the year progresses, I’m excited about it.”

Tapper ran one 100m race last season, clocking 11.70s. She also ran the 60m sprint indoors four times, with the best time of the four being 8.06s.

She ran the 100m hurdles 19 times last season and her personal best came on at the Memorial van Damme held at Boudewijnstadion in Brussels, Belgium, on September 2.