PARIS, France – National 100m hurdles record holder Ackera Nugent has expressed excitement for her first Olympic Games in Paris.

Nugent was beaming with pride as she stepped on the track on Sunday to participate in her first hurdling training session since her arrival for the championships on Friday, where she revealed she is aiming to do her best for the country.

“This is a moment that I have prayed for, and standing here right now is a great feeling,” said Nugent. “When I was 15 years old, I didn’t take practice seriously, and a friend of mine told me that I was going to be a phenomenal athlete. But he has since died, and after his death, I took it a lot more seriously, and here I am now.”

Nugent finished fifth in the final of the event at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She is the second fastest woman in the world this year in the event, behind American Masai Russell.

Reigning world champion Danielle Williams and Janeek Brown are the other Jamaican women set to compete in the women’s 100m hurdles in Paris.

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