JAMAICAN sprint hurdles star Hansle Parchment has made a name for himself on the senior stage with top performances in major championships, however he’s very much aware of the importance of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships in his development.

Parchment’s pet event, the 110-metre hurdles, will be on show on today’s final day at the National Stadium, with athletes from the Class 1 and Class 2 boys set to battle it out.

Many of Jamaica’s current top sprint hurdlers had a successful career at the high school level, including reigning world champion Orlando Bennett at Calabar, Olympic bronze medallist Rasheed Broadbell at St Jago, World Championships bronze medallist Tyler Mason at Jamaica College, and Olympic champion Omar McLeod at Manchester High and Kingston College (KC).

Parchment, during his time at Morant Bay High and KC, was unable to grab a title in the 110m hurdles, though he did win gold in the heptathlon for the North Street-based school in 2009.

He did, however, win the 110m hurdles national under-18 title in 2007 and went on to become a semi-finalist at the World Youth Championships in Ostrava.

Since then, the 35-year-old has become one of Jamaica’s most successful athletes, becoming an Olympic champion in Tokyo 2021 after his bronze medal in London 2012. He’s also won two World Championships silver medals while being one of just three Jamaicans to ever go sub-13 seconds.

Parchment credits his current success to his experiences at Champs, and told the Jamaica Observer that young athletes should use the event as a springboard for their professional careers.

“Of course, it’s always good to get the experience. Champs set the foundation for myself because it prepared me before going out on the big stage — because it’s a completely different vibe when you walk out into a stadium with, let’s say, 100,000 people,” he said.

“And because [of] the vibes of Champs I feel like we are — coupled with the confidence of being a Jamaican — we shine a little bit more than a lot of other people because Champs is almost like a mini Olympics. So, it’s just an awesome thing that we have such an event, and we keep it improving over the years.”

Parchment’s accolades have also made him a long-serving brand ambassador for GraceKennedy, the title sponsors for the championships since 2007.

He says they have played a key role in the development of future stars.

“It’s always special to see GraceKennedy doing their thing. They have been doing it for a while now and we know that they’re going to continue to do it, because for GraceKennedy it’s a pleasure to help the development of the youth — and we love to see that.

“We see the potential every year, from what the athletes show, and we know that we can go even further. So, we want to continue working together and just building up Jamaica as best as we can.”

Parchment’s alma mater, KC, is looking to defend their boys’ title but face a difficult task in stopping Jamaica College.