Broadbell putting in the work
Sprint hurdler Rasheed Broadbell is putting in the work that he hopes will see him through the National Championships next month and the World Athletics Championships in August. Based on his training, the tall 22-year-old has a positive outlook for the 110 metres hurdles.
“I’m feeling good, you know, putting in the work in training as usual. Got some runs in early season and to see where we are, so the main focus is the Trials right now,” he said during last Saturday’s JAAA All-Comers meet at the National Stadium. Those early season runs include a 6.59 second dash for 60 metres at the Gibson-McCook Relays, his fastest season opener in the hurdles – 13.12 on April 15 in Florida – and a defeat of two-time World champion Grant Holloway at the Rabat Diamond League in what was then a world-leading time of 13.08 seconds.
Notwithstanding all that, he wants to improve on his semi-final exit from last year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
“Definitely,” he said. “Last year I was coming off an injury in 2021, so it was kind of trying to shake off the rust (in 2022). I think I did that in the latter part of the season. I mean I got a PB of 12.9, so this year, I opened with the fastest season, actually, so it’s shaping up well.”
PERSONAL BEST
That personal best – 12.99 seconds – made him just the third Jamaican, after Olympic champions Omar McLeod and Hansle Parchment, to break 13 and came in a Diamond League victory over American star Holloway in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion is eagerly awaiting the business end of the season.
“We’re still doing a lot of stuff in training as we speak. I mean once we get to the championships, it’s going to look very crazy,” he said.
Like his father Maurice, who was a high jumper at St Jago High School, Broadbell is tall and lanky, but thanks to the work he does at Elite Performance with coach Reynaldo Walcott, he faces no problems with the length of his legs in races.
“It’s all about rhythm with hurdles, so once I get my rhythm going, it doesn’t really bother me,” he underlined. “I got stronger. We’re doing a lot of stuff in training to ensure that we stay tall over those barriers and finish strong,” he said.
His dad is delighted with his son’s progress. “Every time I run, we talk on the phone, and he was saying one day, ‘Yes, you see I told you you’ll be a world beater.’ It’s a joy to see that Mum and Dad can see I’m doing what they always wanted me to do, so it’s a joy,” he related with genuine elation.
