Spencer vows to make her country proud

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Favourite for the 400 metres hurdles gold at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer, is not allowing herself to become pressured as a result of her status going into the championships and is instead determined to remain focused as she gets set to hunt her first individual medal at a senior global championships.

Spencer, the 2010 IAAF Samsung Diamond League winner and current world leader with a season's best of 52.79 seconds, will enter the Daegu, South Korea-hosted championships as favourite for the top spot with defending champion and close friend Melaine Walker and American LaShinda Demus, the other serious contenders.

The elegant Jamaican is, however, keeping her feet on the ground, and despite entering the fray as the only woman below 53 seconds this year, Spencer maintains that she is not overly concerned about the heightened expectation.

Focused on her goals

"I understand that pressure will come, as with good performances come expectations and criticisms," said Spencer, who finished fourth at the last world championships in 2009.

"I just plan to hold my own, maintain focus on my goals and with the positive support from family, friends and the hard work being put in by myself and my coach, I should be able to go out there, compete well and make my country proud."

Spencer, who has been fine tuning for the championships along with her fellow MVP Track Club stablemates in Italy in recent weeks, underlined her satisfaction with her performances over the past two seasons, especially the recent personal-best posting.

The former Manning's High School student credits a greater appreciation and commitment towards the sport as well as improved sporting maturity and certain lifestyle changes for her improved performances over the past two years in particular.

"I am very happy with my performances this year. I, however, am not surprised that all this is happening. In the past two years I have matured even more as an athlete, I have made athletics my primary and sole focus and I have also become stronger mentally and physically," said the 2006 World Junior champion.

"I have gained more endurance and I am feeling much stronger than I did in previous years. I have also placed more emphasis on my diet; on taking in the right food and so on, in the proportions necessary to ensure my body has the necessary fuel to perform well," she added.

Spencer, 24, is responsible for three of the five fastest times recorded over the distance this season and will no doubt take some beating, if she is to be denied the gold medal in Daegu.