1, 2, 3?
Reigning Olympic Games 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment believes Jamaica can make a clean sweep of the medals in the event at next year’s edition in Paris. But that’s if everything goes according to plan.
The 33-year-old Parchment is coming off an excellent season during which he won silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in mid-year.
The Jamaican sprint hurdler ended the season as the fastest man in the world with a time of 12.93 seconds, ahead of his national teammate Rasheed Broadbell, who was the second fastest in the event with 12.94.
Tyler Mason, who has been making steady progress over the last two seasons, was the 14th fastest in the world over the distance with 13.12, while Orlando Bennett’s time of 13.19 ranked him at number 19.
Parchment told the Jamaica Observer he is optimistic they can take home multiple medals in Paris.
“I am looking forward to competing with my teammates because I think that we have a pretty good chance of taking home more than one medal in the 110m hurdles,” said Parchment.
“I think that if everything works according to plan, and we can come with a clean sweep and that would be awesome for the country.”
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was staged in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Parchment stunned the world by defeating Grant Holloway, the gold medal favourite. Parchment clocked 13.04 to win his first Olympic title.
Parchment, a native of St Thomas, pointed out that he is determined to retain his title in Paris.
“I have set my goals down for next year and of course, the goal is to win and that is the thought that I will go forward with in mind. I will make sure to give my best and of course, try to bring home the gold for Jamaica,” Parchment said.
“I think pressure is more something that is in everybody else’s mind. I am not thinking about that at all because obviously if I should think about that then that will be a distraction for me, and I don’t want that,” he said.
“I am going to try my best to focus on the goal at hand and try to give my best so that I can, of course, bring home a medal for Jamaica.”
The former Morant High School standout, who has been conditioned by veteran Coach Fitz Coleman for the past 14 years, usually starts his season slowly. He suggested he will be sticking with that method as he targets a successful 2024 season.
“There are no real benefits to starting the season any faster because I have been doing it like this and I think it has worked and I want to continue with what is working.
“It is just a matter of improving on what I have been doing, and hopefully, I can close out the season even better than this year,” he said.