Barrett has sights firmly set on Beijing »

Barrett has sights firmly set on Beijing

File Jamaica's Dewayne Barrett (centre) gaining the silver medal for Jamaica at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, earlier this year. The United States (left) won gold.

Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

A number of outstanding 400-metre runners have been produced by Jamaica.

Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley, who won gold and silver, respectively, at the 1948 London Olympics were the first really great Jamaican 400m runners. In the following years, others like George Rhoden, Bertland Cameron, Roxbert Martin, Gregory Haughton and Davian Clarke continued the tradition.

With Haughton and Clarke calling it a day, the past two years have seen a decline in the number of our quality performances in the one lap event at the highest level. At last year's World Championships, the men's 4x400m team also failed to medal.

At the World Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this year, the quartet of Edino Steele, Michael Blackwood, Adrian Findley and Dewayne Barrett showed signs that Jamaica was returning to the glory days when they finished second behind the United States in the 4x400m.

One member of that team who is determined to make it to the Olympics this year is former Jamaica College athlete, Dewayne Barrett.

Barrett, who graduated from Jamaica College in 2000, had little success in high school. However, in 2000 he represented Jamaica at the World Junior Championships in Chile as a member of the 4x400m quartet which won gold.

It was one of the few times that the United States had lost a 4x400m gold medal at a major championship. The other members of that team were Sekou Clarke, Pete Coley and Brandon Simpson.

"After leaving Jamaica College, I got a track scholarship to Essex University in New Jersey where I spent two years. In my final year, I finished second in the Indoor Junior College 400m in 47.8 seconds," he said.

Suffered setback

After leaving Essex, Barrett went on to St John's University in Queen's, New York. He suffered a setback there, however, as in his second year the men's track and field programme was cancelled.

"I was very disappointed, because in my first year I was doing well. I had times of 46.14, 45.80 and 45.66 and I had hoped to continue that trend in my second year," he continued.

The setback, however, provided an opportunity for Barrett.

"I decided to focus on my academics and during that time I linked up with Zodan Eastwood and Jude Massillon who were training athletes at the club level."

According to Barrett these were two men who over the years have helped several Jamaicans in their track and field development in the New York area.

Barrett, who graduated from St John's with a degree in social work and accounting in 2004, made his first senior team in 2005 when he went to the CAC Championships in The Bahamas. He finished second in the 400m at that meet. The following year he had more success.

"I made it to the World Indoor Championships in 2006 and although we had a mishap (dropped baton) in the 4x400m, we finished fourth. I was very happy to have made the team."

The 26 year-old Barrett who has a good record indoors has his sights firmly set on making the team to Beijing.

"It is every sportsman's dream to make an Olympic team and I am hoping to finish in the top three at the Jamaica National Championships. If I don't finish in the top three and still make the team I will still be very happy,'' he stated.

Unlike several of his other colleagues, Barrett is not a professional athlete.

"I have a full time job as a social worker and a personal trainer, and I do not get the time to train the way I want to, but my coaches work with my schedule and although I am usually very tired after work I am very hopeful of doing well," stated Barrett.

The task is not beyond him. Only three Jamaicans, Ricardo Chambers, Leford Green and Sanjay Ayre, have gone under 46 seconds this season.

Come next month, Barrett, who was also a member of the second-placed 4x400m quartet at the Penn Relays last month, could get on the Olympic team and live his dream.

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