Foster-Hylton jumps at Senior Champs opportunity »

Foster-Hylton jumps at Senior Champs opportunity

Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Foster-Hylton ... I am desperately in need of an Olympic medal. I would love to add that to my collection.

VETERAN SPRINT hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton is determined, more than ever, to do well in this weekend's National Senior Championships.A Gleaner top-six prediction a week ago placed the national record holder in fourth spot for the women's 100 metre hurdles and thus, out of a qualifying spot for the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

Rather than seeing the fourth-place prediction as a 'disrespect', the two-time Olympian, who missed most of 2007 because of injury, is using it as a motivation to compete at her optimum level in the semi-finals and final of the event which is scheduled for tomorrow at the National Stadium.

"Actually, it (the prediction) does not bother me. I kind of don't mind," Foster-Hylton said.

"It takes the attention off me. I thrive on those things. I am now able to just focus on my lane, my 10 hurdles and what I need to do to get where I need to be," she said on Thursday.

The top-six prediction had defending champion Delloreen Ennis-London in top spot with Vonette Dixon next, followed by Lacena Golding-Clarke in third.

Foster-Hylton, who will celebrate her 34th birthday on November 7, has had mixed results so far this season, but now feels she is getting back to her best.

"I had the entire year off last year. The hurdles is a very technical event. You hit hurdles, you skip a stride, you come off badly. Anything can happen and when you take a year off, it just increases the chance of these things happening," she said.

"Well, the first two races (this season) were a little bit off. The third race, I put everything together, I was quite focused but then came the pressure races and I forgot some of the basics. I came back home, went back to the drawing board and I have worked on that ... I am where I need to be and I am ready to go on Sunday," Foster-Hylton said.

Foster-Hylton is the number-two-ranked Jamaican for 2008 with a 12.56 second victory in Doha, Qatar, on May 9. Ennis-London is number one with 12.54.

In her last race, at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on June 8, Foster-Hylton, the 2003 World Championships silver medallist in Paris and the bronze medal winner two years later in Helsinki, finished in fifth spot in 12.75. Helped by a plus 3.1 metres per second wind, American Joanna Hayes won in 12.53 with Golding-Clarke third in 12.65.

Foster-Hylton has her sights set on getting a medal at the Beijing Games if she gets there."They say the third time is a charm and I am hoping that this is going to be my best Olympics. My goal going into the Games is to get a medal. I am desperately in need of an Olympic medal. I would love to add that to my collection. I want to do very well this weekend but I also want to run my best times in Beijing." At the Sydney 2000 Games, Foster-Hylton placed eighth in the final after hitting a hurdle. Four years later in Athens, disaster struck again. She pulled a calf muscle just before the semi-finals and withdrew from the event.

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