‘Don’t count me out’
Smith believes injury-free season could produce Olympic-sized fireworks
AFTER A SUPER 2019 season where she finished sixth i n the women’s 100 metres final at the World Athletics Championships i n Doha, clocking a personal best 11.04 seconds, Jonielle Smith has had a torrid time.
Smith would go on to run the third leg on the successful 4x100metre relay team for Jamaica at those World Championships but then came injury after injury.
The former Wolmer’s Girls’ School and University of Auburn athlete, who celebrated her 28th birthday yesterday, spoke about life after that blockbuster year.
A former Carifta Games Under20 and Caribbean and Central American Games 100 metres gold medallist, Smith also had success at the collegiate level for Auburn. She was a South Eastern Conference (SEC) 100-metre runner-up and was also an All-American representative.
Now training locally for the past two seasons at the MVP track club, Smith spoke about her spate of injuries over the past four years.
“For me it has been all about injuries since 2019, including a car accident, back, hamstring, and recently shoulder injury, which has been very frustrating for me. I haven’t been allowed to display my talent in the sport,” said Smith.
Still, Smith has dreams of a return to her best form and says she is training well with a view to making her first Olympic Games team.
“Obviously, I want to make the national team this year and go to my first Olympics, as I want to have that super feeling like I had at my first World Championships experience,” she said.
“For me it is to find who Jonielle is as an athlete. It has been injuries upon injuries for me over the past four years and I would like to be seen as one of the best athletes and not as an injury-prone athlete. This year I want to be consistent and to be dominant in my performances and wherever God takes me, whether it is at the Olympics or Diamond League finals, it is just to perform better than I have done in the past.”
She thought last year would have been the year back for her but it did not work out well.
“Last year I was in good shape and thought it was going to be a great one for me, but it was not to be as I picked up another injury. It was very frustrating and I cried a lot but I decided that I was not going to give up,” said Smith, who believes she has got stronger this season.
With so many young up-andcoming athletes, especially in her camp at MVP she was asked if there is any fear that she will no longer be able to compete.
“No, I am not, but I am aware,” was her defiant response.
“Jamaican high school has taught us about competition, as one year you are on top and then next year there is some one better than you, so you have to be alert, as it is in our culture every time we compete,” said Smith.
According to Smith, once she can remain healthy, she cannot be counted out of the Paris equation.
“Just don’t count me out. I am paying attention to the simplest of details. Not playing superhero with my body, being honest with myself, so if it hurts I am not going to compete with it,” she said,
“My aim is to build on every single race. Take it one day at a time and you might be surprised when the time comes.”