SANTIAGO, Chile — National 400m hurdler Jaheel Hyde says winning gold at the Pan American (Pan Am) Games on Friday afternoon is an important moment in his career because of the individual work he put in.

Hyde won his first major senior gold medal for Jamaica by clocking 49.19 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles final.

Brazil’s Matheus Lima took the silver in 49.69 and Cuba’s Yoao Illas claimed the bronze in 49.74.

Hyde told the Jamaica Observer recently that he decided to compete at the Pan Am Games because he was disappointed with the outcome of his campaign at the World Athletics Championships (Worlds) in Budapest, Hungary, in August, where he finished at the semi-final stage.

He says that outcome motivated him to get straight back into training to quickly improve.

“This one is very, very, very, very, very special to me,” Hyde told the Observer after the race. “I actually prepared myself for this event, meaning coaching myself, since after Worlds. I took a week off and started back by writing my own programme. It was just betting on myself.

“It paid off. It wasn’t the fastest time, and it also wasn’t the smoothest race. I didn’t have any time goals coming in, so it’s always just to give thanks for coming out of it injury-free, first of all, and winning the race.”

Hyde says he was finished with his season after Budapest, but rethought his decision.

“I have no regrets,” he said. “I came out on top and that was the plan.”

Hyde also dedicated the win to his three-year-old daughter.

Five other athletes competed for Jamaica on the day, with Rajindra Campbell and O’Dayne Richards finishing eighth and ninth, respectively, in the men’s shot put final. Campbell’s best mark was 19.27m, while Richards landed at 18.37m. The gold medal went to Mexico’s Uziel Muñoz (21.15), Jordan Geist (20.53) of the United States of America (USA) took the silver, and his teammate Roger Steen (20.51) won the bronze.

Lushane Wilson finished seventh in the men’s high jump final, clearing the bar at 2.21m. His teammate Cristoff Bryan was 10th, with a measurement of 2.15m. The event was won by Cuba’s Luis Enrique Zayas, who measured 2.27m. Silver went to Luis Joel Castro (2.24m) of Puerto Rico and The Bahamas’ Donald Thomas (2.24m) took the bronze.

Athletics team captain, Navasky Anderson, will be Jamaica’s final competitor in the athletics section, having qualified for the men’s 800m final which takes place on Saturday at 7:10 pm local time, 5:10 pm Jamaica time.

He won his semi-final, clocking 1:47.51 minutes, ahead of Puerto Rico’s Ryan Sánchez (1:47.59) and USA’s Abraham Alvarado (1:47.72).

“I’m just qualified for the final,” he said. “That was the job today, no matter what it took, getting into the final. It wasn’t the smoothest race, but that has to be expected. I just give God thanks that I’m through to the final.”

Jamaica was also in action in Rugby 7s. The women’s team, the Lady Crocs, started the day with a 44-0 loss to the USA, then the Crocs lost against Argentina 40-7.

The women returned to action and won their game against Paraguay 24-21.

The men were defeated again, this time 41-0 to Uruguay. The Lady Crocs played another game, this time losing 26-14 to Colombia.

The Lady Crocs will face Mexico in the fifth to eighth place match on Saturday at 10:00 am (8:00 am).

Jamaica’s medal count is now five, with cyclist Dahlia Palmer, discus throwers Samantha Hall and Fedrick Dacres, and wrestler Aaron Johnson, all contributing bronze medals.