Buckley finding his range

Leighton Levy, Gleaner writer

Four hundred-metre hurdler, Markino Buckley, is finding consistency once more after recovering from an injury that threatened to relegate him to a mere memory.

Times of 49.37 at the National Stadium on May 1, when he placed third; and 49.51 seconds over a week ago, which earned him second place, suggests that the promising young hurdler is on his way back.

In August 2008 Buckley, then 22, ran a personal best 48.50 seconds to qualify for the finals of the men's 400-metre hurdlers at the Beijing Olympics in China.

Even though he finished seventh in the finals, his time of 48.60 seconds suggested that Buckley was positioned to become the man to supplant veteran Danny McFarlane as Jamaica's premier distance hurdler.

breaking out

Based on the success of 2008, 2009 was to be the year that Buckley broke out of his cocoon and display his true colours as an emerging force on the world stage.

However, a groin injury that he picked up in Beijing, and thigh injuries, kept him out of competition for most of the 2009 season.

The year 2010 has so far promised redemption. When Buckley ran at the Jamaica International Invitational on May 1, he came in with high expectations but finished third in 49.37 behind fellow Jamaican Isa Phillips and American Kerron Clement.

He revealed that he was expecting a 48-second run, but was not disappointed with the time.

"Right now I am just working not to be injured, getting my stride together, so I feel like I am getting there," he said.

And as he gears up for some bigger competition, Buckley, who turned 24 last month, is promising that he will get back to 48 seconds before the season comes to close in late August.

"Yeah, definitely," he said.