Hyde driven to improve

As his times this season improve, promising 400 metres hurdler Jaheel Hyde is rising to the challenge of being one of the best in the world.

Brilliant as a junior, the two-time World Under-20 champion is driven by the goal of winning at the senior level. With a 2019 injury niggle behind him, Hyde is aiming high.

Last Saturday, The University of the West Indies and MVP Track Club hurdler clocked his best time of the season, 50.15 seconds, at a JAAA All Comers meet.

“The first one that I ran, I ran 50.7, and then the second was 50.5, and today, 50.1, so each week is improvement,” he remarked thoughtfully.

Reminiscing on his early competitions, which included an urgent 44.7-second 4x400m leg at the Western Relays in February, he said, “I opened the season 46.7 and [had] been doing pretty well after that, and then I got an injury, so you know, I’m coming back, and I’m happy with my performance today and looking forward to the trials.”

The mishap put him off track.

“I got an injury, a hamstring injury, a strain that took me out for like a month,” the 22-year-old prospect said.

The former footballer had unprecedented success as a junior with a World Under -18 110 metres hurdles gold and a World Under-18 record to accompany his World Under-20 400 metres hurdles titles. While still under 20 years of age, he reached the 2016 Olympic semis in the longer event, but he wants more.

Asked about his goals, he stated: “To replicate those stuff in the senior level, to win gold medals in the Olympics and World Champs, you know, those are the things that drive me, to be one of the best to ever do the event. Even if I don’t, like, win gold medals at the event, I just want to know that I go out there and each time I run, I do a PB (personal best).”

His best time ever is 48.52 seconds.

After winning the bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he switched coaches, moving from his Wolmer’s Boys’ School coach, Chris Harley, who had tutored him from his junior successes to the MVP Track Club. Apparently, the biggest change is the work he does in training.

“It’s the first I ever do so much training in my life,” he said. “We’re big guys now, so we have to put in the work that is going to give us the Olympic medals, World Champs medals.”

Hyde will be in action at the Racers Grand Prix.

“I’m ready for that, and then after that is the trials,” said the 2017 World Championships semi-finalist.