KC’s Clarke the man to beat in Class One 110m hurdles
After his impressive performance at the Carifta Trials at G.C. Foster College -- where he clocked a personal best of 13.06 seconds, improving massively on his previous best of 13.42 to win Under-20 110m hurdles -- Kingston College's Daniel Clarke will be aiming for Wayne Pinnock's Class One record at next week's ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs).
Pinnock, formerly of Kingston College, etched his name in the record books at the 2019 championships when he clocked 13.06 to break the previous record of 13.21 seconds, set by Calabar High's hurdle standout Dejour Russell the year before.
Clarke, who defeated the previous season leader, Shaquane Gordon of Calabar, at the trials -- where Gordon finished second in 13.38, will renew his rivalry with him once again. Both were in the final last year where Clarke finished second and Gordon third. Jamaica College's Daniel Beckford won the event in 13.54.
All three will be back in contention, but with a season's best of 13.65 at the Youngster Goldsmith Classic, Beckford will need significant improvement to defend his title. Heading into Champs, he is ranked fourth in the event.
At the Trials, Clarke, despite hitting several barriers, proved he is the class athlete in the field this season. He could go even faster and become the first athlete at these championships to break the 13-second barrier. If conditions are ideal, he may even challenge Damion Thomas' national junior record of 12.99.
Clarke is undoubtedly the one to beat, while the battle for silver and bronze could be intense with Gordon, the defending champion Beckford and last year's sixth-place finisher, Daniel Wright of Excelsior, all in the mix.