OKEILE Stewart, coach of rising Jamaican 400m hurdler Roshawn Clarke, said that there is no pressure on his athlete to defend his title at the JAAA National Championships (Trials) at the National Stadium this week.

The championships will be used to select Jamaica’s team for the Olympic Games in Paris next month.

Clarke, who turns 20 on July 1, enters the championships as the fastest Jamaican in the event this year with a time of 48.11 seconds. His time ranks as the 12th-fastest in the world for 2024, behind world leader Alison Dos Santos of Brazil who has posted a time of 46.63s. Clarke, who is the world Under-20 record holder in the event, is favoured to defend his national title.

Stewart told the Sunday Observer that Clarke, who is aiming to secure his first Olympic team spot, remains unfazed by the high expectations leading into the championships.

“I don’t think there is any pressure; I think he will approach it just like a normal race,” he said. “It is a championship and he expects that everyone will be coming to do their best to make the team. He hopes to do the same and hopes to finish number one at the end of the day.”

Stewart described Clarke’s preparation leading into the meet as strong, saying that he has made significant improvements this year compared to last season.

“We haven’t changed anything with him because we have a plan, and the plan is to get to Paris,” Stewart said. “His training has been going well as this is the fastest he’s been heading into the ‘Trials’, so he is in better shape now. So, we are looking forward to positive things.

“The 400m hurdles is an obstacle race and as such you have to negotiate each hurdle as it comes. So, you just have to focus on what you have to do and hope it will pay off in the end for you.”

Clarke has diversified his racing schedule this year, achieving a season’s best of 45.57s in the 400m and improving his personal best in the 200m from 21.02s to 20.69s.

“Mentally, he is ready and very focused at this time,” Stewart said. “It is just for him to go out there and execute his race plan on the day.”