PARIS, France — After a difficult start in the heats of the men’s 110m hurdles event at the Olympic Games, during which he had to run from behind to finish second in the event, reigning Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell vows to come back much stronger in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Broadbell was slow out of the blocks at the start of the race but came flying near the end to finish second in his heat in 13.42 seconds. The race was won by American gold medal favourite Grant Holloway in 13.01, the fastest time of the day. France’s World Under-20 champion Sasha Zhoya finished third in 13.43.

Broadbell, the fastest Jamaican this year with a time of 13.18, admitted that he was not pleased with his start but now has time to work on it before Wednesday’s semi-finals.

“I am feeling really confident given that I ran a really messy race, given that my block setting was off,” he said. “I know that my coach is going to complain. I am feeling good doing that just now, and finishing like that is going to be crazy once I fix that start,” He said.

Broadbell suffered a huge disappointment at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year when he fell in the first round of competition. He pointed out that he has got over that disaster and is confident of a podium finish in Paris.

“I am going to get that [right] in-between my rest days, and when the semi-finals come I will be ready. Last year after the season, I cried, and even after the race, I cried. So, this year I am not going to leave here crying — and you guys know what that means,” he pointed out.

Defending Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, who is also through to the semi-finals, narrowly escaped the repechage round after logging a pedestrian 13.43 in his heat. That was the same time given to four other runners in the heat which was won by China’s Zhuoyi Xu in 13.40. Parchment made it through with the last qualifying mark, missing the repechage round by two hundredths of a second.

Another Jamaican, Orlando Bennett, is also through to the semi-finals after clocking 13.35 to finish second in his heat. That race was won by African champion Louis Francois Mendy of Senegal who clocked 13.31, with Belgium’s Michael Obassuyi finishing third in 13.41. Bennett said he has to produce a much better-executed race in the semi-finals to secure a spot in the final.

“I am feeling great because I went out there and executed a really good race. Going into the semi-finals, I know that I have to execute and run really fast and just get to the final,” he said.

— Robert Bailey

Orlando Bennett clears the barrier in the 110m Hurdles heat.

Hansle Parchment competes in the 110m Hurdles heat.