WITH a change in her diet this season, sprinter Shashalee Forbes says she is feeling healthier and focused on securing a spot on Jamaica’s team for the 100m at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Forbes, 27, has been in good form this season, clocking a world-leading 7.03 seconds to win the women’s 60m event at The Queen’s/Grace Jackson Development Meet at the National Stadium on Saturday. She equalled her personal best time over the distance.

Briana Williams of Dynamic Athletics Track Club was left back in second place in a season’s best 7.11, with Tia Clayton of MVP Track Club third in a personal best 7.18. Forbes told the
Jamaica Observer she is consuming more protein and has reduced her fast food intake, which has contributed to her early season result.

“I would say at this point in the season, yes, I am in better shape compared to last year at this point because I think my dieting has contributed a lot to that season,” she said. “I have stopped eating fast food — even though it is hard — because I am eating more protein and getting a lot more iron in my body.

“I love my fast food but now I have to stop.”

Forbes, who is coached by Maurice Wilson at Sprintec Track Club, competed in the women’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last season, and also ran a personal best time of 10.96s over that distance. It was the first time in her career that she ran below 11 seconds. Her time ranked her as the sixth-fastest Jamaican woman in the world in 2023.

Forbes is confident that once she remains healthy and strong she will surpass her personal best time in the 100m this season.

“Fingers crossed, I hope to run a personal best time in the 100m because once I am healthy, then anything is possible,” she said. “My training is going great so far because I don’t have any injuries at the moment — and, hopefully, I can carry on injury-free for the remainder of this season.”

Reflecting on her personal best-equalling best performance in the 60m last Saturday, Forbes admitted she was a bit shocked by the time.

“I am surprised by the time tonight [Saturday] but seeing that I am right there, it means a lot so I just need to remain focused and see where it takes me this season,” she said. “My mindset right now is very relaxed because I am very focused. I don’t put track and field all in my head all the time; I just live as I go along.”