Janieve Russell opens individual season with ‘fast’ 400m hurdles
Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell achieved one of her main goals on Friday as she opened her individual season in the women’s 400m hurdles, at the opening Iaaf Diamond league meeting in Doha, Qatar.
Russell had told the Jamaica observer a week earlier she was hoping for a fast start and got it when she placed fourth in 55.28 seconds, behind Americans Dalilah Muhammad (53.61 seconds) and Ashley Spencer (54.72), and Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova(54.82).
The former Holmwood Technical and University of Technology athlete, who was part of the Jamaica “Gold” team that won the USA vs The World women’s 4x400m at the 125th Penn Relays last Saturday, said:. “I am expecting to open fast compared to the previous seasons, as I never really open fast in the 400m hurdles. It’s a stacked field and I hope the ladies will push me, as I want to be pushing them and finishing injury-free.”
What exactly did she mean by fast? Russell replied: “Faster than 58.00 seconds, as I always open with 58.00 seconds.”
Russell, who has a personal best 53.46 seconds set last year in Lausanne, Switzerland, ran the second leg of the Mile Relay in Philadelphia and said her season had been going well and that her leg timed at 52.5 seconds was another stepping stone to where she wants to be.
“I am going to Doha...so it was good to come to Penn Relays and get a blowout, especially in the 400m, and I think I did a pretty good job on my leg. So, I am just excited about the rest of the season,” she said.
It was the first time she was competing on a national team at the Penn Relays, and the relished the opportunity.
“This was my first time running on the 4x400m team at the Penn Relays with two Jamaican teams involved, and we were competing against the world and against each other as team members. And so, it really was a big deal to push ourselves and see if we could get first and second — and we did that,” Russell said.
The Jamaican teams were first and second as the Gold team also included Shericka Jackson on the lead off leg, Christine Day ran the third leg, and Stephanie Mcpherson anchored to win in 3:28.94. The Jamaica “Green” team of Roneisha Mcgregor, Anastasia Leroy, Rhonda White and Tiffany James were second in 3:31.04.