Sport

Foster-Hylton turning on the power

By LEIGHTON LEVY, Star Writer

Brigitte Foster-Hylton - file

DESPITE A SERIES of seemingly ordinary performances 100-metre hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton is quite pleased with her progress so far this season. "I have been satisfied with my performances," she reveals. "I have been working on a few things that are fairly new to me but I am very optimistic about the future."

Foster-Hylton's fastest time so far this year was the 12.56 clocking she produced in Santo Domingo on May 14. Since then she has had times of 12.76 for third place, running into a headwind at the Prefontaine Classic in the United States; 12.97 seconds for a win in cold, wet conditions in Ostrava, and was joint second in 12.89 seconds in Luzern, Switzerland. Those times were not even close to her national record of 12.45 seconds. However, the former world number two ranked sprint hurdler believes the best is yet to come. "I'm very excited about the changes in my hurdling," she says.

She reveals that she is physically stronger this year and is very excited about the power she has gained, even though it was initially affecting her hurdling. Foster-Hylton, currently ranked 11th on the IAAF world list, reveals that because of her new-found power, she was getting too close to the hurdles at the start of each race, but she has been working to correct that.

"When I put it all together it will be very exciting," she says.

Work ethic and discipline

Going into the trials, Foster-Hylton's objectives are just to make the team to Helsinki in August. According to her, her coach Stephen Francis has her on a programme for her to be peaking in time for the world championships.

She is not overly concerned by the increasing depth of talent in the event on the world stage with the coming of age of American hurdlers Michelle Perry and Joanna Hayes and the progress of local girls Lacena Golding-Clarke, Deloreen Ennis-London, and others. In fact, she welcomes the competition.

"The depth adds prestige to the event and it will bring out the best in us," she opines.

Speaking about her role as mentor to some of the younger athletes, Foster-Hylton says she feels privileged and happy to be a part of the success of her teammates Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson and Germaine Mason, who have all revealed that they have learnt a lot from her work ethic and discipline.

She explains that she did not set out for it to be this way, however, and is just being herself. She says that she is glad to be able to be an example for them to emulate.

She revealed that she recently had a conversation with Asafa Powell, after he broke the world 100-metres record, during which she encouraged him to remain focused, pointing out to him that now that he has broken the world record, he now has to work even harder than before because it is harder staying on top than getting there.