AFTER years of injury setbacks Okeile Stewart, coach of former national junior hurdle sprint star Dejour Russell, says the athlete is showing promising signs of resurgence under his guidance at Swept Track Club this season.

Stewart told the Jamaica Observer that Russell, who stormed onto the international scene with a gold medal at the 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships in Kenya in a championship record time of 13.04 seconds in the 110m hurdles, is steadily rebuilding his form and confidence.

“He has spent some time this season trying to lay some foundation in terms of trying to remove some of the little niggling injuries that he would have had over the years that has been affecting his development,” Stewart said.

“Dejour has been a solid competitor over the years but niggling injuries have hampered him. We have not pushed too much so far this season but we have been doing a lot in training and he has been looking comfortable, based on what I have seen, in comparison to other hurdlers and sprinters locally and internationally,” he said.

The 25-year-old Russell, a former Calabar High School standout, played an instrumental role in the school’s seven-year dominance of the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships between 2012 and 2018. Russell, who was coached by Fitz Coleman, joined Swept Track Club at the end of last season.

He made the final of the 110m hurdles event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia where he finished eighth. However, he has faced a frustrating path in the senior ranks due to repeated injuries.

Though his main event remains the 110m hurdles, Russell has already shown signs of raw speed this season, recording a season-best 10.42 seconds in the 100m. His personal best in the sprint hurdles stands at 13.32 seconds.

Stewart highlighted that with the right blend of health, training and competition, Russell can once again challenge the country’s best.

“As a coach, I believe that whether it is sprint hurdles or the 400m hurdles, athletes should have a solid speed base. He is a 10.27 sprinter at his best, and we believe that he is in that shape or even better now,” he pointed out. “With that speed we hope to bring it over the hurdles and ensure he is in the mix when the final comes at the national trials.”

STEWART…he has spent some time this season trying to lay some foundation in terms of trying to remove some of the little niggling injuries that he would have had over the years that has been affecting his development (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Looking ahead, Stewart indicated the upcoming meets this month and early into next month will be critical as Russell gradually increases his hurdling workload.

“We hope to hurdle a little bit more heading into the national trials,” he said. “Training has been going wel,l and we will be looking for more opportunities to compete in both hurdles and sprint events heading into the senior national championships.”

The National Senior Championships will be held at the National Stadium from June 26-29

Russell has been training alongside the likes of Emmanuel Archibald, Tyquendo Tracey, Jason Lewis, and Nicoya Drummond, and according to Stewart the competition within the group has brought out Russell’s natural competitiveness and drive.

“Coach [Fitz] Coleman did a fabulous job with Dejour over the years; it is just unfortunate that he has had to deal with these injuries,” Stewart stated. “He is on the bigger side genetically so we have been trying to manage that side of it. I won’t say we are 100 per cent where we want him, but he is in a much better place than he has been over the years.”

Stewart maintained that this season is about growth, stability, and laying the groundwork for Russell to reassert himself as a top contender — not just nationally, but on the international stage.

“We hope to use this season as a platform in which we will grow. From there, we hope to have Dejour be the force that we believe he can be going forward.”