Forbes motivated after breaking new ground
LAST WEEKEND several of the country’s top senior athletes had good performances at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet and one of the standouts was Shashalee Forbes.
On a day when many of the sprints were aided by positive wind, the women’s 100 metres saw the wind reading at the allowable limit of 2.0 metres per second and Forbes took advantage of the situation, finishing second in a personal best 10.98 seconds behind Tamari Davis of the United States, who clocked 10.91.
It was a big moment for the SprinTec-based athlete, marking the first time she was going sub11 seconds.
The athlete, whose previous best was 11.10 done in 2017, was over the moon.
“To be honest, I’m still in shock about my performance. I am overwhelmed with joy to have done what I really needed to do,” said Forbes.
Forbes represented Jamaica at the World Athletics Championships in 2019 in the women’s 200 metres, but has since had a drop in form.
Her recent achievement is giving her hope that the doldrums of sprinting are behind her.
“This season I have been doing a lot of different work and I have my coaches who keep pushing me, so I know at the end it will be great,” she said.
“I am very motivated to keep going and the work has just started. I may have gotten my first sub-11 seconds but I know I still have to continue to believe in myself and my coach and keep grinding, but I’ll always remain humble,” she said.
Though she is the third-fastest Jamaican behind Shericka Jackson, 10.82, and Alana Reid, 10.92, this year, Forbes knows making a World Championships team with the quality of sprinters in Jamaica will not be easy.
“Everyone is working hard so I will never count out anyone, but as for me I’ll keep putting in the hard work and let it speak for itself at the National Trials,” said Forbes, the 2017 National 200-metre champion.
Her coach at SprinTec, Maurice
Wilson, who is also the technical director of the national senior team, has high hope for his charge this season and was very pleased with her first sub-11 clocking.
“Shashalee has been showing good form all season and her performance in Bermuda should be a good confidence booster for her. I hope she will be able to make the World Championships team again this year as she is one of our best handlers of the baton and an excellent relay runner who can help Jamaica female team regain their 4x100 metres relay title. I expect her to keep progressing once she remains focused,” said Wilson.