#ParisOlympics: Sean Bailey hoping to finish season strong following unfortunate end to Olympic campaign
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Sean Bailey is hoping to have a strong end to this athletic season despite having his hopes crushed after pulling up during the men’s 400m repêchage round at the Paris Olympics on Monday.
Running in the repêchage was Bailey’s second chance to qualify for the men’s 400m semi-finals after failing to do so in the heats where he ran 44.68 seconds to place fifth on Sunday.
Bailey told reporters that he has since seen the doctor for the discomfort around his hamstring, and he was told it was due to inflammation caused by overuse and not enough time for recovery.
“I mean it is not really an injury, more like inflammation behind the knee. I had it looked at this morning at the Adidas House so it’s more like a fluid accumulation back there so it was pulling on the hamstring here causing it to over work, so we got it sorted and right now behind there is very sore,” he told Observer Online.
“The doctor basically told me that there is just a lot of soreness behind there because of the overuse and then not enough rest to come back and run 12 hours later, so I mean in two or three more days I should be fine,” he added.
He stated that despite the unfortunate way his Olympic journey ended, he is hoping to participate in at least two more meets before the season ends.
“Just trying to find two more meets and finish the season strong. I feel like I am in the best shape I have ever been in, it is just very unfortunate with the circumstances I was given but I feel like I have a lot more to give so I am going to try and run again and see what I can do,” Bailey said.
He also expressed remorse over the part he played in not having a men’s 4×400 metre team representing Jamaica at the Olympics, as he was unable to participate during the squad’s last ditch effort to qualify for the Paris Games at the JAAA National Trials in June.
“Just like it is now I was out there warming up, for everybody that didn’t know, it is just unfortunate that I was feeling some niggles like I’m feeling now and I just didn’t want to take the risk and I did feel bad about not being able to help the team qualify,” he said.
“We are all human at the end of the day and we still have contract needs to meet and coming here and showing up is one of those needs but I didn’t want to be selfish and go out there and pull up and not help the team qualify,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jevaughn Powell will contest the men’s 400m semi-finals which is slated to take place at 12:35pm (Jamaica time) on Tuesday.