Sinclair wants to put 800m in spotlight

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

DAEGU, South Korea:

Jamaica's middle-distance flag-bearer, Kenia Sinclair, is desperate to break new ground in the event, as she continues her quest to become Jamaica's first IAAF World Championships 800m finalist and medallist here in Daegu, South Korea.

Sinclair, who has been in particularly good form this season, being the seventh-fastest woman over the distance and suffering only one loss this season - that coming at the AVIVA London Grand Prix early last month - is looking to first of all break her Worlds finals curse, and do so with a podium finish.

The Commonwealth Games and World Indoor Championships silver medallist noted that she has been encouraged over the years by the exceptional performances by the nation's sprinters to bring the same level of success to the middle distances for the island.

"I have been working on that for many years," said Sinclair after her first-round 2:01.66 win yesterday. "Every year that I come to a major championships and see how the Jamaican sprinters dominate, my goal was always to get myself on the podium so that I can place Jamaica on the distance map."

The Jamaican may have to produce the run of her life if she is to have her wishes here, with the Russian phalanx led by Mariya Savinova holding the top five positions in the world at the moment.

Confidence

However, Sinclair, buoyed by her own performances over the year, is full of confidence going into the next rounds and was just happy to finally step on the track here in Daegu, after spending the past few days champing at the bit in the Athletes' Village

"Confidence can do a lot so I just have to be confident and believe in myself and trust in the work that I have done throughout the season," Sinclair said. "I know that once I go out there and apply what I have been working on all year, I know for sure that I'll be on the podium."