Parchment is on to Moscow
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment will be in Moscow to compete in his first IAAF World Championships, says his coach Fitz Coleman, throwing cold water on reports that the sprint hurdler could miss the championships because of an ankle injury.
While admitting that Parchment would not be at his best as he is still being hampered by the injury he picked up while warming up for the finals of the men’s 110m hurdles at the JAAA National Senior Championships just over a month ago, Coleman says they will both leave the island on Wednesday to report to the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s pre-Championships training camp in Moscow that starts August 1st.
“He is training,” Coleman said in carefully measured tones while speaking to the Jamaica Observer, “he is far from being completely healed and ankle injuries can take a long time to get better, but he is progressing encouragingly.”
There have been reports that Parchment who ran a then world leading 13.05 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, on June 1st to lower his own National Record 13.12 seconds set in the finals of the Olympic Games in London, last year, might miss the Championships due to lingering effects of the injury but Coleman dismissed them, “That is just people creating stories.”
Parchment has not competed since early June but Coleman told the Observer “unless something untoward should happen, Hansle will take his place at the starter’s blocks at the World Championships.”
Andrew Riley, who won the men’s 110m hurdles at the JAAA National Championships and has since run a personal best 13.14 seconds, the second best ever by a Jamaican and former National Record holder Dwight Thomas, will join Parchment as the Jamaican trio for the men’s sprint hurdles in Moscow.
The first round of the men’s 110m hurdles will be run on the second morning of the Championships, Sunday, August 11 with the semi-finals and finals set for the following afternoon.