National record is great, Daegu medal would be even better - Thomas

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

For sprint hurdler Dwight 'Bigga' Thomas, lowering the national 110m hurdles record is just one small step towards his ambitions for 2011.

Yes, Bigga certainly has big dreams and we certainly cannot blame him or doubt his ability to bring them to fruition.

After mining gold medals for his contribution to Jamaica's 4x100m successes at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Thomas, whose recent 13.15 in Oslo is the current best by a Jamaican athlete in the 110m hurdles, is targeting his first global individual medal at this year's IAAF World Championships in Athletics scheduled for Daegu, South Korea.

"I definitely feel there is a possibility of me being on the podium (in Daegu). I just have to stay healthy and continue to compete well and everything will fall in place," said Thomas during a recent interview with The Gleaner.

Thomas, who had represented Jamaica for years in the 100m and 200m, made the switch to the 110m hurdles a few years ago, and after years of playing catch-up, seems to be closer to the doorway of major hurdling successes.

Only four men have gone faster than Thomas so far this year, including sprint hurdles' 'Holy Trinity' - world record holder Dayron Robles, Liu Xiang and his training partner David Oliver. The other hurdler to have gone faster than the burly Jamaican is American Aries Merritt.

"I feel good so far this year with my preparation for Worlds (World Championships). I lowered the national record and my next step is to make the World Championships team and then compete during the summer and lower my season best significantly and the national record," said Thomas in response to his intentions for the rest of the season.

Disappointment

Despite being happy with his national record, the big Jamaican is a bit disappointed that he did not go faster in that race and is desperate to break the 13 seconds barrier, but only at the perfect time.

"I feel great about lowering the record but I think I cost myself a very fast time if I would have concentrated a little better at the line and gotten a better start," Thomas stated. "Definitely, my goal is to run under 13 seconds but I want it to happen at the right time. Hopefully, it can happen at the World Championships where that would definitely put me on the podium."

That journey to the Daegu podium starts next weekend at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships at the National Stadium, where Thomas is expected to better the competition and book his seat on the flight to the South Korean city.

However, Thomas, who was also the holder of the previous Jamaican 110m hurdles record (13.16), is not taking anything for granted.

"I'm looking forward to run fast and I'm taking the (national) trials seriously like a championship. I have to look at every competition seriously to be considered a serious opponent," Thomas noted, before speaking to the advantages of working along with Oliver, who is the fastest in the world so far with 12.94.

"I have benefited a lot from working with him. He is one of the best so I see what I have to do to beat the best this year," said the former Calabar man.