STUTTGART, Germany — Having clocked a season’s best time at the London Diamond League on Saturday, World Championships 400m hurdles finalist Roshawn Clarke says he is rounding into form at the right time.

And the 20-year-old is feeling very upbeat and confident ahead of this week’s start of the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Clarke, the national record holder in the event, recorded 47.63 seconds to finish second in London.

He is the second-fastest Jamaican and the seventh-fastest man globally this year. Malik James-King, who defeated Clarke in the final at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships last month, is the fastest Jamaican and fifth-fastest in the world this year with his time of 47.42 seconds.

Clarke, set to compete at the Olympic Games for the first time, said he has been improving on his technique a lot this season and is very optimistic about his chances of a podium finish at the championships.

“Running fast at this point of the season is no surprise to me because I am where I want to be. Running 47.63 now, I can’t complain,” said Clarke.

“I ran 47.36 last year at the national championships and I am three times better now than last year with my technique and everything. So, I would also say that I am ahead of my time right now and I know that I am peaking at the right time.”

Clarke, a former Camperdown High School standout, will be aiming to break the country’s 20-year medal drought in the event. Danny McFarlane, who claimed silver at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, is the last Jamaican to have won a medal in the event at the Olympics

Coached by Okeile Stewart at Swept Track club, Clarke pointed out that he has gained a lot of experience from competing at his first World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023, and is determined to do extremely well in Paris.

“My confidence level is always high because I know what I can do. And it doesn’t matter who is in the race or which lane I am running in, I know that I am just going there to do my best for myself and my country.

“I also know that my experience from the world championships last year can get me very far in my event in Paris. Mentally, I am going in very strong knowing that I can come out of this championship with something to my name.”

He also noted that he is not putting himself under any undue pressure as he is just looking to produce his best efforts whenever he steps out on the track.

“I am not nervous at all but I am just excited to run because I am going to treat this just like a regular meet like the World [Athletics] Championships. They [rivals] are running fast and I am also running fast because I am now seventh in the world rankings, so I am not too far back.”