Coach Fitz Coleman says he is taking a measured and strategic approach to prepare defending 110m hurdles Olympic champion Hansle Parchment for the upcoming season.

Parchment, who secured a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023, is in training, and Coleman says there is need for patience in ensuring his readiness for this season as he aims to defend his Olympic title in Paris.

“We are being patient with his readiness, but there is nothing new with how we are approaching the season because we have always started the season very slowly and then gradually started to build towards the more critical major competitions,” Coleman said. “Remember that he had an extended season last year because the season went all the way deep into September, so I am being very mindful that we are not talking about a 21-year-old, and we are taking time to make sure that he gets there.”

Parchment, 33, is one of the country’s most decorated sprint hurdlers of all time. He has a personal best time of 12.93 in the event. Coleman says Parchment’s response to training has been positive because he understands what is at stake for him this season.

“He is in training, and he is responding quite well. As for the competition, we have not yet decided, but there are races out there,” Coleman said.

“We will decide on that in possibly another month or so to determine when he opens up his season, so Jamaica and the world can expect to see him out there.”

Coleman says his ultimate goal remains unwavering since he started working with Parchment more than a decade ago.

“The aim has never changed from when I started working with him because it is always to be number one at all times,” he said. “He is not merely going to the Olympics because he is the defending champion, so there is no question about what the intention is, and that is to defend his title.”