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Thomas strives to glamorize hurdles
BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011
ORLANDO, Florida — National 110-metres hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas has put his hands up and says he wants to be the one to fly the flag for Jamaica's hurdlers.
With the success of the 100m sprinters led by double word record-holder Usain Bolt and world and Olympic champion Shelley Ann Fraser-Pryce putting the island into the global spotlight, Thomas thinks the sprint hurdlers can claim the same lofty heights.
National 110-metre hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas at a training session in Orlando, Florida last week. (Photo: Paul Reid)
National 110-metre hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas at a training session in Orlando, Florida last week. (Photo: Paul Reid)
#slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}
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It won't be long before the sprint hurdles attract the same attention, Thomas told the Observer in an interview at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida last week.
With the success of training partner David Oliver, the American record-holder and third fastest man ever in the event and the rivalry with world record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba and China's Liu Xiang, the second fastest man ever over the distance, Thomas thinks this event could be one of the most competitive at this year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
Expectations, he said, will be sky high, specially here in Jamaica.
"A lot of people are expecting so much this year because Jamaica is doing so well in the 100m. You have to do more in other events like distance and hurdles and throws" to get attention, he argues.
And Thomas told the Observer he thinks he has found the solution.
"We have to start marketing ourselves in those events and I want to be that person in the hurdles as come 2012 when hopefully Usain Bolt duplicate what he did in 2008 in the 100 and 200, someone else can do their thing in the hurdles so people don't see us as being one dimensional and say, 'they are just fast runners'."
Additionally, the former Calabar High and Clemson University star says it should not be too hard for sprint hurdlers to get their share of the spotlight on the track circuit.
"It should not be hard at all," he says. "With David (Oliver) doing so well and Robles has the world record and at the top of their game... the hurdles will be one of the more competitive events in Daegu."
Thomas also believes he is at the top of his game and after being ranked third in the world last year — behind Oliver and Robles — he says rankings are not his concerns, but rather, getting under the 13-seconds barrier.
"I'm not far now," says Thomas, whose national record of 13.16 seconds came in 2009 in Zurich. He is also optimistic that this season will be a good one as he learns more about the event under coach Brooks Johnson.
Training every day with Oliver, who was undefeated outdoors all of last season and established himself as one of the best ever in the discipline, has lifted Thomas' expectations of himself.
"It's a give-and-take situation," Thomas told the Observer, explaining that his speed challenges Oliver every day while he learns techniques from the American.
While saying Oliver was "not the most technical hurdler," Thomas says "his lead leg is quicker than anyone else. If you can get that lead on the ground quicker, you're going to get to the next hurdle faster than anyone else, and that's what he use to beat others; he has the deadliest lead leg right now and I see it every day".
According to the big Jamaican, if he can improve on his lead leg, "and with my speed, I know I am going to be there".
He cautions, however, that making it to the final in Daegu "will not be a cake walk... you have to work hard and once I get everything together I 'll be on the podium in Daegu, that's what my mother tells me every day, 'you have to get there'."
Thomas, who won a gold medal in the 4x100m at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin after leading off in the preliminary rounds, is a former national double sprint champion who has a personal best of 10.00 in the 100 and 20.32 in the 200m.
'Bigga', as he was nicknamed in high school, has been part of the Brooks Johnson group -- which also includes compatriots Delloreen Ennis and Novlene Williams-Mills, Justin Gatlin, Xavier Carter, Tiana Madison and Tiffany Ross-Williams -- since March last year.
Thomas says last year was a good one, and while he finished the season ranked in the top three, he was not too impressed with his times, adding that this year he was looking for improvement.
"I had just recently returned to the hurdles last year, so this year is the one where I have to go out and challenge myself and even break the national record multiple times instead of having it stay there for a long time," he says.
"I feel really good about this year as David has been pushing me and I'm looking forward to running much faster," he said
Additionally, he said, he continues to learn more about hurdling under the guidance of Johnson.
Thomas will defend his title at the May 7 Jamaica International Invitational meet after opening the outdoor season at the Florida Relays, and says he is looking forward to a fast time on the brand new blue track.
Asked whether there was any hurdler he would like to face early in the season, he said: "I'm not sure who else will be there, but it's all about me right now... I want to race myself and see where I am at."
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1GxtE3Yp4
BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011
ORLANDO, Florida — National 110-metres hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas has put his hands up and says he wants to be the one to fly the flag for Jamaica's hurdlers.
With the success of the 100m sprinters led by double word record-holder Usain Bolt and world and Olympic champion Shelley Ann Fraser-Pryce putting the island into the global spotlight, Thomas thinks the sprint hurdlers can claim the same lofty heights.
National 110-metre hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas at a training session in Orlando, Florida last week. (Photo: Paul Reid)
National 110-metre hurdles record-holder Dwight Thomas at a training session in Orlando, Florida last week. (Photo: Paul Reid)#slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}
1/1 It won't be long before the sprint hurdles attract the same attention, Thomas told the Observer in an interview at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida last week.
With the success of training partner David Oliver, the American record-holder and third fastest man ever in the event and the rivalry with world record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba and China's Liu Xiang, the second fastest man ever over the distance, Thomas thinks this event could be one of the most competitive at this year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
Expectations, he said, will be sky high, specially here in Jamaica.
"A lot of people are expecting so much this year because Jamaica is doing so well in the 100m. You have to do more in other events like distance and hurdles and throws" to get attention, he argues.
And Thomas told the Observer he thinks he has found the solution.
"We have to start marketing ourselves in those events and I want to be that person in the hurdles as come 2012 when hopefully Usain Bolt duplicate what he did in 2008 in the 100 and 200, someone else can do their thing in the hurdles so people don't see us as being one dimensional and say, 'they are just fast runners'."
Additionally, the former Calabar High and Clemson University star says it should not be too hard for sprint hurdlers to get their share of the spotlight on the track circuit.
"It should not be hard at all," he says. "With David (Oliver) doing so well and Robles has the world record and at the top of their game... the hurdles will be one of the more competitive events in Daegu."
Thomas also believes he is at the top of his game and after being ranked third in the world last year — behind Oliver and Robles — he says rankings are not his concerns, but rather, getting under the 13-seconds barrier.
"I'm not far now," says Thomas, whose national record of 13.16 seconds came in 2009 in Zurich. He is also optimistic that this season will be a good one as he learns more about the event under coach Brooks Johnson.
Training every day with Oliver, who was undefeated outdoors all of last season and established himself as one of the best ever in the discipline, has lifted Thomas' expectations of himself.
"It's a give-and-take situation," Thomas told the Observer, explaining that his speed challenges Oliver every day while he learns techniques from the American.
While saying Oliver was "not the most technical hurdler," Thomas says "his lead leg is quicker than anyone else. If you can get that lead on the ground quicker, you're going to get to the next hurdle faster than anyone else, and that's what he use to beat others; he has the deadliest lead leg right now and I see it every day".
According to the big Jamaican, if he can improve on his lead leg, "and with my speed, I know I am going to be there".
He cautions, however, that making it to the final in Daegu "will not be a cake walk... you have to work hard and once I get everything together I 'll be on the podium in Daegu, that's what my mother tells me every day, 'you have to get there'."
Thomas, who won a gold medal in the 4x100m at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin after leading off in the preliminary rounds, is a former national double sprint champion who has a personal best of 10.00 in the 100 and 20.32 in the 200m.
'Bigga', as he was nicknamed in high school, has been part of the Brooks Johnson group -- which also includes compatriots Delloreen Ennis and Novlene Williams-Mills, Justin Gatlin, Xavier Carter, Tiana Madison and Tiffany Ross-Williams -- since March last year.
Thomas says last year was a good one, and while he finished the season ranked in the top three, he was not too impressed with his times, adding that this year he was looking for improvement.
"I had just recently returned to the hurdles last year, so this year is the one where I have to go out and challenge myself and even break the national record multiple times instead of having it stay there for a long time," he says.
"I feel really good about this year as David has been pushing me and I'm looking forward to running much faster," he said
Additionally, he said, he continues to learn more about hurdling under the guidance of Johnson.
Thomas will defend his title at the May 7 Jamaica International Invitational meet after opening the outdoor season at the Florida Relays, and says he is looking forward to a fast time on the brand new blue track.
Asked whether there was any hurdler he would like to face early in the season, he said: "I'm not sure who else will be there, but it's all about me right now... I want to race myself and see where I am at."
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1GxtE3Yp4
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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