KINGSTON College’s (KC) Daniel Clarke says he is determined to make a strong statement at next month’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, as he sets his sights on turning the tables on Jamaica College’s Daniel Beckford in what is expected to be an electrifying Class One 110m Hurdles showdown.

Clarke, who finished second to Beckford at last year’s championships, is confident that his hard work and faith will help him achieve his ultimate goal of winning gold at the event which is set for March 25-29 at the National Stadium.

“My focus this year is to do the best I can, regardless of position, and lower my times from last year. I just want to continue improving myself,” Clarke stated while crediting his faith in God as a key source of his confidence, despite minor setbacks during training.

“I have faith in God so I am very confident. I have been training hard. There might have been a couple of mishaps but I know what I am capable of and I know what God has in store for me, so I believe I can do it,” he added.

With a personal best time of 13.42 seconds Clarke is putting the steps in place as he looks to lower his mark and prove that he is a serious contender for the gold medal.

“My preparations have been going great so far. I have been injury-free all season and things are shaping up well. I am most definitely looking to better my personal best time, and I think everyone is looking forward to improving on their times,” he said.

Clarke produced a meet record time of 13.60s to win the Boys’ Class One 110m Hurdles event at the SW Isaac-Henry development meet last Saturday at the National Stadium. He erased the previous mark of 13.80 seconds.

He pointed out that refining his start and improving his transitions will be crucial to his success at next month’s championships.

“I think I need to practise my start and transition better throughout the race. Once I am able to do this at Champs, then I will definitely be in front at the end,” he said.

Despite the hype surrounding his rivalry with Beckford, Clarke insists that his biggest competition is himself.

“I don’t see anybody as rivals except myself — it is basically me running against me. When you focus on somebody else you always feel like that person is in front of you, but when you focus on yourself and believe in yourself then you know that you can be your only rival,” he explained. “I think it will be the race to watch at Champs and I will definitely be ready for it,” he declared.