Sub-49 clocking puts Oakley over the moon

Jamaican quarter-miler Dejanea Oakley was over the moon after posting a personal-best and world-leading 48.92 seconds to win the 400 metres at the South Eastern Conference Championships on the weekend.

The winning time by the former Clarendon College quarter-miler for the University of Georgia was also a meet record and just three-hundredths of a second outside the collegiate record. She also became the second-fastest Jamaican female ever in the event behind Nickisha Pryce’s 48.5. The two are the only Jamaican women to go sub-49 seconds.

Oakley was ecstatic.

“I am over the sky, and to meet me you have to fly there,” said Oakley in a post-race interview.

Oakley stated that the key to her success was the motivation from her teammates. 

“Seeing my teammates doing very well was a big motivation for me, and seeing one of my former teammates and training partners running 49 seconds earlier in the day was even more motivation,” she said, after watching Aaliyah Butler finish second in the event at the Shanghai Diamond League in 49.78, behind Pryce’s winning time of 49.75. Butler was the winner of the event at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the University of Georgia. Oakley was second.

Despite her fast time, Oakley stated that she did not run a perfect race. 

“I could have done much better, but my first 200m was not perfect and I am pretty sure this is what my coach will say to me, and I will have to work on this,” she stated.