Carter putting the past behind him
NEncouraged by public support during his battle to repudiate a retroactive drug ban, Carter is squarely focused on the road ahead. His objective now is to race his way to the World Championships in Doha this year.
Surrounded by young autograph and selfie seekers after his 4x100m lead-off leg at last Saturday’s Western Relays, Carter said: “I’m a tough guy. I try and put the past behind me and move forward. I just continue taking the love that the Jamaican people have been giving me, and the world, and just use that to power me forward.”
Even though his MVP Track Club lost a close race to Sprintec, Nesta was happy to be back on track.
“It was pretty good, good to be back out on home soil trying to correct the mistakes from last year, (I am) looking forward for World Championships this year”, said the 2018 CAC champion.
“Come Gibson Relays, I want to run there as well and try and get as much competition in as possible and get myself (ready) for the later part of the year.”
The sprinter says he trusts his MVP Track Club coaches to get him in top gear when it matters.
“The genius Mr (Stephen) Francis will have to walk you through the plans but for me, the season is long, but you still need to get fast early because all of the Diamond League competitions are pretty much early, so it’s gonna be a long season, but you still have to be on par.”
He clocked 10.07 seconds to win the CAC gold and that has opened his appetite for more. That time is some way off his personal best of 9.78 seconds from 2010, but he’s in no rush.
“We’re currently still in background season, definitely getting stronger this year”, the 2012 Olympic 4x100 gold medal winner revealed about the stage and state of his training. “So I’m just going take it a few races at a time.”
The adulation of young participants in Saturday’s meet had the two-time Olympian thinking about the future of Jamaican track and field athletics.
“I love supporting the kids and encourage them to keep on, keep the flag up high, because when we leave, you’re going to need a bunch of young ones to dominate as us.”
Carter was banned retroactively for the presence of a stimulant in his urine samples at the 2008 Olympic Games. The matter came to light in 2016 and he disputed, without success, all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.