Javon Francis is banking on his experience to upstage the country’s more-fancied quarter-milers at the National Championships (Trials) next week, as he aims to secure a spot on Jamaica’s team for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Francis, 29, has been hampered by a series of injuries throughout his career, but says he is now fit, focused, and ready to deliver some special performances at the Trials, which will be held at the National Stadium from June 27-30.

“I am feeling good about my preparations heading into the Trials, and I am also feeling very confident,” said Francis, who made the transition from the Sanjay Ayre-coached Chase Athletics to Fitz Coleman’s tutelage at the onset of this season.

“I am just trying to stay focused and just listen to what my coach said, and just go there and execute my race plan because I know that I have all the experience under my belt to do that at the Trials.

“Training under Coach Fitz Coleman has been going good so far. I have been learning new things, and I am just trying to get my body right and trying to get my body to adjust to his training methods.”

Francis has a personal best time of 44.50 in the 400m and a season’s best effort of 46.41 this year. He says he is aware that for him to defeat Javaughn Powell, who is the country’s fastest 400m runner this season with a time of 44.54, he will have to improve his time at Trials.

“Fitz Coleman is a very good coach, and I just have to listen to him and stay patient,” Francis said.

“Really and truly, I am a person that doesn’t think about times because I just want to go to the Trials and make the team and take everything from there.

“I know that other people have run faster than me this year, but I am trusting my coach and everything that I have been doing that it will help me make the team.

“My best time this season is 46.41, so I most definitely have to lower that in order to make the team and try to get the qualifying time at the Trials.

“I always believe in myself because Rome was never built in a day. So I have been staying focused and working hard, and I believe that things will come true for me at the Trials next week.”

Francis fell short of making Jamaica’s team for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last season, failing to progress from the 400m semi-finals at Trials and closing the year with a season’s best time of 45.10.

Francis, who is aiming to make Jamaica’s Olympic team for the second time in his career, gained recognition for his electrifying anchor-leg performance at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, Russia. There, he secured a silver medal for the country in the 4x400m relay.

He also clinched silver medals in the 4x400m relay at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Francis is also the 2018 Commonwealth Games 400m bronze medallist.