JC strongman Dunn staying humble ahead of Champs
LED BY Shaiquan Dunn, Jamaica College have a powerful field events team in Class One and they are expected to dominate and put maximum pressure on defending inter-secondary boys’ champions Kingston College.
Dunn, who will be competing for the Old Hope Road-based school for the first time, after transferring to sixth from St Jago High at the start of the 2023-24 academic year, is the overwhelming favourite to win the Class One shot put and discus events at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs). In the shot put, he has the three best marks of 18.60 metres, 18.49m and 18.12m, while his two best marks of 59.82m and 58.28m in the discus put him also ahead of his rivals.
At last Saturday’s S.W. IsaacHenry Invitational meet, he led a sweep of the top three spots by his team in the discus after his record mark of 56.59m.
A leg injury last year forced him to miss Champs 2023, but Dunn is in good form ahead of next month’s meet.
“I am very pleased with my form so far this season as training has been going great, despite a little hiccup earlier in the season, and I just want to remain humble for the remainder of the season,” said
Dunn.
The hiccup, he said, occurred last December.
“I was trying to compete with the seniors at a meet in December and it affected my performance, but since then I have gotten back on track competing with my peers, and things are great,” said Dunn.
He stated that he is not surprised at his good form this season.
“I am not surprised about my good performances, I am excited. But anything can happen, so I am just grateful,” Dunn said.
He said he moved from St Jago because he was not getting the attention he needed.
“I had two coaches at St Jago, one migrated and the other was the head coach in charge of the jumps and throws, and was also the coach at G.C. Foster College. I didn’t think I was getting the attention I needed and wanted to do well in my final year, so I decided to link up with coach Rajive Ford at Jamaica College, who I think can carry me to where I want to be,” he said.
Dunn stated that he likes the comradeship amongst his new teammates.
“I am a very jovial person and I like the relationship with my new teammates as we push each other. However, when it comes to competition it is ‘war’, as I take competition very seriously,” said Dunn.