Reigning 400m world champion Antonio Watson has expressed his eagerness to break the sub-44 barrier this season, believing that once he is injury-free, achieving this mark is quite possible this year.

Watson, 22, a former standout at Petersfield High School, made history in 2023 by becoming the first Jamaican in over 40 years to win gold in the 400m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year.

Conditioned by Coach Glen Mills at the Racers Track club, Watson has a personal best time of 44.13 seconds, which he achieved in the semi-finals of last year’s World Championships.

He told the Jamaica Observer that his main focus this year is to maintain clean health, expecting fast times once he achieves this.

“Hopefully, if everything goes well for the rest of the season then probably it [sub-44] will happen, but I am not pressuring myself and say I need to go sub-44, and if it comes, it will come, but I am working on it,” Watson said.

“I am quite fit and okay and that is one of the most important things for me at the moment. There is a lot of pressure but for me, I don’t think about the pressure like that, I just try and enjoy myself each and every time and just try to give of my best at all times.”

Watson, who has season’s best times of 20.84s in the 200m and 46.10s in the 400m, says he is looking forward to competing against some of the country’s top quarter-milers at the Racers Grand Prix, scheduled for June 1 at the National Stadium. He is set to face Demish Gaye, Zandrion Barnes, and veteran Javon Francis in the one-lap event.

“I am very excited for this meet because it is very important to me, so I am just looking forward to going out there and performing well,” he said. “I am definitely looking forward to running much faster than I did last year. I think that last year was the beginning, and now I am in the development phase, so I am just trying to stay focused and put on a great performance.

“It is going to be a very good race because I know that the local guys are ready and I will be ready, so I am just hoping that everybody turns out for this meet on June 1.”

Watson, a former world Under-18 400m champion, says this race will be a good measuring stick for him heading into the National Championships, scheduled from June 27-30 at the National Stadium.

“I am in a good stead right now and first I am just focusing on the trials and we will take it from there,” he said.