World record now McLeod’s goal
Olympic champion Omar McLeod described his gold-medal run at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as technically his worst but underlined that with an Olympic gold now fixed around his neck, his ambition has turned to breaking the 110m hurdles world record.
McLeod capped a dominant year in the event with a 13.05 run in a soaked Olympic Games final in Rio de Janeiro, but noted that in that race, his focus was simply to cross the line in front and win his and Jamaica’s first Olympic gold medal in the event.
“Technically, the Rio final was my worst race of the season. I didn’t get out, I was just preserving, holding back,” McLeod said.
“I wanted to be an Olympic champion first. I didn’t want to overdo it; I had nothing to prove. I knew all I needed to do was stay in my comfort zone and hurdle, and once I got over the barriers, I would be a clear winner.”
“When I was at the Olympics I told myself that all I needed to do was hurdle, not to try anything spectacular, just hurdle and be an Olympic champion first and then I have all my career to break the world record,” added McLeod.
“I have the speed, but it tends to get the better of me at times, such as when I had the two falls before the Olympics, but it goes to show that I was in great shape and ready to run fast, but I had to make an adjustment.”
“I am young and still learning, so I have a lot of time to break the world record, but it’s
definitely a goal,” he shared.