MCLEOD COULD BECOME OUR BEST EVER ’4-HURDLER’

It’s been eight long years since Danny McFarlane – 400-metre runner turned 400-metre hurdler – took home the silver medal at the Olympics in Athens, Greece emulating the performance of perhaps the Jamaica’s best ever 400-metre hurdler Winthrop Graham, who took the silver in Barcelona 12 years earlier. Four years later in Beijing, the 36-year-old McFarlane (48.20), almost medaled again. He finished fourth behind a trio of Americans Angelo Taylor, Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson respectively. Markino Buckley, another Jamaican was seventh in 48.50.

Since that time Buckley through injury, faded away somewhat and is now trying to mount comeback. Others like Isa Phillips, Leeford Green and Josef Robertson have either flattered to deceive or failed to live up to expectations for a variety of reasons. On Friday night at the ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium, Jamaica may have seen the next great one-lap hurdler, one that not only challenge Graham’s national record of 47.60s, but could go on to be even greater.

I might be caught up in the emotion of the moment but Omar McLeod, former Manchester High standout who now represents Kingston College is the first ever high school 400-metre hurdler in the 103-year history of Champs to break the 50-second barrier when he shattered Robertson’s record of 50.24s and took the gold. It was the second and more impressive of two records the youngster set on Friday as earlier in the day, McLeod shattered the 110 hurdles record with a 13.42-second run in the semi-finals of the Class One event.

I spoke with the very likable young man earlier this season after he competed at the Central Hurdles and Relays Development Meet at GC Foster College. I asked him what his goals were for the season and he calmly stated that he planned to break the 50-second barrier in the longer hurdle event this season. Having consistently stopped at 51 seconds throughout the season I didn’t doubt his ambitions but wondered whether or not he could accomplish this goal at Champs where he was down to compete in multiple events. Friday night he answered those questions with magnificent emphasis; 49.98s that stunned the thousands gathered at the stadium on the penultimate day of the championships.

Friday was a day when several records were either broken or equalled at Champs – Jevaughn Matherson, McLeod’s teammate ran an impressive 10.86s easing off at the end to win the Boys Class 3 100m and Kimone Shaw from St. Jago ran 11.75s to break the Class 4 Girls 100 metres, but no record broken on the day or during these championships will eclipse McLeod’s performance. Everyone there sensed the moment. The crowed ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ when the official time was announced, a gaggle of photographers snapped away feverishly at the proud KC hurdler as he posed beside the in-field clock that displayed his new record time. Even the Champs mascot came over for a chance to bask in McLeod’s shine.

Already a solid hurdler McLeod has so much room for improvement. Over time his technique will improve as will his strength and speed, all of which are impressive now at this level. If he can make those improvements incrementally over the next few years and remain healthy, who knows what he will be able to accomplish.

Coach KC Graham believes McLeod has the potential to take it the the very highest level. “Definitely,” he said, when I asked him if his charge could very well be the best high school hurdler and potentially Jamaica’s best ever. “Based on the time he ran he has to be. He has great work ethic. He never complains he just does the work. He definitely has what it takes to go all the way.”

49.98 is a long way off 47.60 but based on what I have seen from this 18-year-old student athlete, that gap might not be as far as it seems.

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14 Responses to “MCLEOD COULD BECOME OUR BEST EVER ’4-HURDLER’”

johntowit says:

March 16, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Get rid of the vuvuzellas and I’ll come and watch Champs every day of the week.

Why do Jamaica have to adopt the worst habits in life. Like our present dancehall music vuvuzellas does’nt make any sense to me whatsoever and just add a bad spiritual vibes to the whole settings.

Whenever I watch a sports clip on utube about a sports event in Jamaica the vuvuzellas just take away the vibes.

After the St. African world cup in 2010, all western European nations banned it. I have never heard it here in Grt. Britain. Jamaica seems to always adopt the worst habits in life; why is that?
Southy says:

March 17, 2013 at 7:25 am

@johntowit..so because the Europeans ban vuvuzellas ,Jamaica should ban it? So because the whiteman doesnt like vuvuzellas that makes it one of worse habits in life and Jamaicans shouldnt like it? The Europeans like the monkey chants,should Jamaicans like that? I saw a packed Stadium at Champs..your presence wasnt missed.
CharlieP says:

March 17, 2013 at 9:51 am

Well said Southy
Raoul says:

March 17, 2013 at 10:34 am

Not to take anything from Mcleod but I think last year winner gallimore who had an injury hit season will probably do it before him if he continue with the event
dallo says:

March 17, 2013 at 11:18 am

Mcleod is also great at the 110m hurdles where his technique is top of the world. When he gets the pacing between the hurdles in the 400 right he’ll definitely be a world beater.
Robbie says:

March 17, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Please nuture the talents of these young and promising athletes with discipline and Jamaica’s athletic future will be in safe hands.
johntowit says:

March 17, 2013 at 5:38 pm

@Southy & CharlieP: Was’nt saying that Europeans are the standard bearer but only drawing reference to lets say “polite society”.

So I ask both of you: What are ur takes on the vuvuzelas? Do they make any logical sense to the settings?

Should’nt Jamaica stay as original as possible? We have a tradition of cheerings, horns, drums, etc. Vuvuzelas is an imported phenomenon and furthermore it does’nt add to da athmosphere because it sounds spiritually cross-wired. Music is supposed to be pleasant to da hearing and sadly vuvuzellas r not !!!

Check back on da world cup in South Africa in 2010, I would’nt say I enjoyed it, the vibes was DROWNED OUT by this awful sounding vuvuzellas. Also the just finished Africa Nations Cup finals – whole athmosphere was corrupted by da sound of da blaring vuvuzellas.

Jamaica is noted as a copy cat anyway – like dunces in school who loves to copy, usually ended up copying rubbish. We dont need to copy bad habits and vuvuzellas are. Whether messers CharliP & Southy like it or not !!!!!
Jangle says:

March 18, 2013 at 6:49 pm

Johntowit – If all you can take away from such a spectacle and phenomenon that is Champs is the noise from vuvuzellas, then the signifance is lost on you. I also see you lumping dancehall music into your critiques. It’s probably best you sever all your Jamaican roots and stick to your adopted British traditions of afternoon tea and classical music and leave our “boorish” behaviour of expressing ourselves with our noise and dancehall music. Oh, I too live outside of Jamaica and am college educated.
Lorna says:

March 19, 2013 at 10:42 am

@Jangle – Couldn’t agree more. Well said!
johntowit says:

March 19, 2013 at 2:18 pm

@Jangle & Lorna;
So u guys admonish the vuvuzellas, huh? I must say I and a lot of other ppl enjoyed Champs from way back when comming on and the drums, horns, claps, cheerings and vibez were/are enough for us.

This vuvuzellas bizniz is South African, and its rubbish to say da least. Did u lot remember WC 2010? When da monotonous boring sound of the vuvzellas drowned out da vibes of da world cup. I must say it was one of da worst WC in terms of athmosphere.

Vuvuzellas is just one long boring sound – no melody, no variation. I am like many others are licking out about the quality of the present dancehall phenomenon – no wonder rubbish music like that can only get played on Jamaican radio via – PAYOLA; original dancehall of the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s will never die – but this present one is a mockry of our creativity !!!!!

Many great men were educated outside da classroom – check ur history.
Richard says:

March 20, 2013 at 11:48 am

I do believe that his potential is great for both the 110 and 400m. However, From the first time i saw omar mcleod doing 400m hurdles I realized that his trail leg actually do not go over the hurdle but around it. Even the hurdle coach at Racers said the same thing. I would love if someone can look at this and confirm whether this is true or not or else if he do this at an international meet it would be a little disgraceful for Jamaica.
coach willis says:

March 22, 2013 at 2:12 pm

It is good to know that there is a great talent in this youngest but already, people has labelled him in terms of his sexuality. What do we know about the young man? we need to stop picking on our youths because they might not displays the signs or symtoms of what it take to be a gangster.
please be reminded that athletics take great dedication and punishing of the body and if this youngster choose to displays some level of emotion as a means of motivation, so be it. Stop labelling the youngman, he is a great athlete
levyl says:

March 23, 2013 at 8:10 am

It’s funny how people like to assume, but what many dont know is that he has a girlfriend and they have a great relationship.
johntowit says:

April 2, 2013 at 10:48 pm

Now that we’re doing so well at athletics not that we’ve only started, because I can remember from as far back as the late 1970′s and earlier when Champs and Gibson Relay was on of the hottest tickets to the stadium.

We now need to educate the great massive spectators that turn up at the different meets. Fans need to stay absolutely quiet for the start of each races – especially the sprints. You cant have spectators blowing their vuvuzellas, cheering and making loud noises at the start of the sprint races, the fans need to start playing their part in being obedient to the race organisers and be quiet for the start of each races. They must show RESPECT to the athletes, organisers and their fellow spectators by staying quiet for at least 45 secs. That’s what CIVILISED society does.

If one should look up on YouTube at previous world championships, Olympics and even Diamond league meets in Europe and Asia – there’s absolute quietness at the start of the sprints. The Chinese and Koreans announcers even make a long sheeeeeeeeeeee sound to get the spectators quiet. The JAAA have no option but to start a programme of spectator’s education in behaving appropriately at track meets. Because all of these professional meets are televised globally and the Jamaican spectators has a responsibility of portraying a decent standard of behaviour to the world audience.

So apart from a shabby stadium where there’s inadequate toilet fascilities, poor quality seating which are in dire needs of sorting out, etc. The JAAA/Sport’s Ministry must accept the responsibilities of educating the Jamaican spectators via its various PR machines to behave appropriately at international/local track meets, because Jamaica is not only judged by the high standard of its athletics’ performances but also the mannerism of its spectators.