WHAT PRESSURE?
Parchment stays cool ahead of Olympic sprint hurdles title defence
STUTTGART, Germany — With the Paris Olympic Games set to begin in a few days, defending 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment insists he is under no pressure to retain his title. He says the main focus is on perfecting his execution at the championships.
Parchment, who has been having a quiet season, will enter the Olympic Games with a season’s best time of 13.19 seconds which he achieved at the National Stadium last month. He is the third-fastest Jamaican in the world this year, behind national champion Rasheed Broadbell (13.18) and Orlando Bennett (13.18), who both finished ahead of him in the final at Jamaica’s Olympic trial in June.
“Well, if there is any pressure, it is not on me or I am not focusing or thinking about that,” said Parchment. “My focus is on preparing myself as best as possible and trying to make sure that my body is healthy and my mind is ready because that is the most important thing. I want to make Jamaica proud, myself proud, and so the aim is to execute my best race.”
The 34-year-old Parchment, who will be competing in his third Olympic Games, won a bronze medal in the event at the 2012 Games in London, England. He has a personal best time of 12.93 and his 13.19 has him ranked as the 18th-fastest man over the distance this year. Grant Holloway of the United States is the quickest man globally this year with his time of 12.86.
Parchment said he is now in much better shape than he was going into the National Championships last month, and according to him, he is also much more focused.
“I am feeling good so far, I am feeling like things are coming together and I am getting fit, and I am definitely looking forward to the start of the Olympics.
“I have had some time to really settle down [after the trial] and really focus on my training without any distractions. I feel like I am a lot higher now than where I was at the trial, and so mentally, I am ready,” he said.
Parchment says that this year’s men’s 110m hurdles event is going to be a spectacle in which he may have to run a personal best to retain his title.
“I think that once everybody is healthy, it is going to be a 12-something final and I believe that I can be in the mix. I am definitely looking forward to running a season’s best and hopefully a PR (personal record),” he said. “Based on how the season is going so far, I might have to run a PR if I am going to get this win, but of course, the aim is to get the win, so I will be putting my best foot forward,” Parchment underscored.
He said he has worked very hard on improving his mental aspects going into the championships.
“I am feeling good so far, I am feeling like things are coming together and I am getting fit, and I am definitely looking forward to the start of the Olympics,” he said.
“For me, I try to work on mental toughness and make sure that I am prepared in that regard. It is just about getting the body up to speed, and of course, the Olympic Games are going to be very competitive because we have a lot of fast hurdlers this year. It should be very entertaining to watch the 110m hurdles at the Olympics,” Parchment added.