Dunkley striding forward at home

OLYMPIC 4X400M relay silver medallist Fitzroy Dunkley has been using local meets to prepare for a big race at Saturday’s JN Racers Grand Prix. If his results at the last two JAAA All-Comers meets are anything to go by, Dunkley’s preparation is going well. On June 2, he won his second 400m race of the year with a substantial improvement in his times.

Speaking after a victory in 46.80 seconds at the May 26 All-Comers meet inside the National Stadium, Dunkley said: “I’m at Racers in a couple of weeks, so I’m using these AllComers meets to prepare for that race.

So I’m taking it week by week, training down here (in Jamaica), and staying consistently in practice down here.”

“I’m preparing for that race and get ready for Trials”, said the 2016 Olympian.

On June 2, the Baton Rouge-based 400m runner lowered his season’s best to 46.22 seconds.

Even though he followed a strong 2016 season with a triumphant anchor that gave Jamaica victory over the USA at the Penn Relays last year, his emergence from his college career at Louisiana State University has been slow.

“It’s been different for me, especially since I’ve been injured a lot since I left college,” the tall 25year-old reported of his short 2017 campaign. “This is like my first race in

10 months, so the transition has been different for me, but I’m still working with it,” he revealed.

Since he has been here, the 45.06 man has been doing his workouts in the company of the Jamaica College track and field team. Clearly enjoying his time with his old high-school team, the former triple jumper and high jumper urged: “I still need consistent practice to get better times, but it’s working.”

His May 26 run at the National Stadium was his first 400m race of the year, but he has done some early-season 4x400m relay trips, and on April 21, the Trelawny native sprinted to a new personal best of 21.14 seconds over 200m.