Rowe hopes late inclusion of speed makes difference in hurdles
Published:Sunday | July 17, 2022 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff ReporterEUGENE, Oregon:
In his first World Championships, 400 metres hurdler Shawn Rowe hopes that his emphasis on speed work will be the factor in putting together his ideal race.
Rowe will begin his 2022 campaign today in the first round of the men's 400m hurdles at 3:20 p.m Jamaica time, a year removed from his Tokyo Olympic Games experience where he went to the semi-finals.
The 29-year-old said that the additional training has been one he had been putting off because of his late introduction to track and field and not having the advantage that most junior athletes have in getting that foundation.
"I felt that my body wasn't ready for all that type of speed work. I'm a little bit late to track and field. I didn't really start early in high school. I started at 18," Rowe told The Gleaner. "I didn't get that development (earlier). So I felt that just pushing speed on me that quick it probably could have hurt me so I just had to back off."
Rowe says it has been a major focus of his programme this season and he says that he is seeing the results come together, slowly but surely.
"This is my first year doing speed and working on my strength and my power. I think that is what is making the difference now. I just need to put the perfect race together," Rowe said.
Rowe has a season's best of 49.37 seconds which he clocked in April. However, he has gone under 50 seconds twice this season including his 49.66 third place run at the JAAA National Senior and Junior Championships in late June.
Despite that, Rowe is not lacking confidence saying that it is up to him to use critical elements of his training to execute his best race.
"I just need to put the race together now. I feel like my mind is there, my body is there. I just need to run a good race," Rowe said.
With Kemar Mowatt and national champion Jaheel Hyde also featuring for Jamaica in the first round, Rowe said that there is added motivation to get to the final.
"It's so funny because I know all of them personally and they are all very nice people. All of us dropped out of the semi-finals in the Olympics last year so we are all trying for the final this time around," Rowe said.