Ristananna Tracey has been one of Jamaica’s most promising young athletes over the years. But plaguing injuries have sometimes barred her from performing at her best on the world stage.

She has featured at three consecutive World Championships, but has never made it past the semi-finals in the 400-metre hurdles. Her first appearance was in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea when, fresh out of high school, she defied a broken wrist to make the semis.

The 2013 Moscow, Russia Championships yielded a similar result and in Beijing, China last year, she failed to make it past the first round after finishing seventh in her heat.

However, it is often said that fortune favours the brave and Tracey’s ambitions are even greater this time.

After finishing fourth at the Olympic trials in 2012, Tracey is now aiming to rise above expectation on the grandest stage of them all when she makes her first appearance at the Games of the 31st Olympiad in Rio.

The 24-year-old signalled a return to form with a 54.85-second clocking which earned her another national champion accolade at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)/Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) National Senior Championships recently.

She will be joined by Janieve Russell and Leah Nugent in flying the country’s flag in the event, as they seek to join Jamaica’s list of decorated hurdlers in Deon Hemmings and Melaine Walker.

“It’s a great feeling because in previous years, I have had a lot of injuries, a lot of ups and downs, but I am training very hard and my preparation is extremely different this season.

“I took a different approach to my training regime and it has been going well so far and I am looking forward to great things in Rio,” Tracey told the Jamaica Observer.

The former Edwin Allen star, who has a personal best of 54.52 secs pointed out that she is enjoying a fruitful first season at Sprintec since switching allegiance from the Racers Track Club.

“Every coach’s training method is different and their programmes are different, but this is my first season at Sprintec and I am improving steadily.

“I think this is just the start of things, I missed the Olympics in 2012, but now I am on the team, so we’ll see how things go but I am progressing,” the 5ft 8in tall athlete noted.

“I know expectations are high for me to represent the country extremely well and my dream is definitely to make it to the final and once I am in the final anything can happen.

“So yeah, I’m extremely happy and my preparation is going on well, so the main target is to compete well and ensure I’m in the final,” she added.