World Champs: Christopher Taylor dismisses fitness level concerns Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

EUGENE, Oregon: Quarter-miler Christopher Taylor says he is in good condition to secure a spot in the men’s 400m final at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

There have been questions about Taylor’s fitness level after he failed to finish in the top three at the Jamaica trials on June 26 at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The top three finishers in each event at the National trials earned the right to be in Eugene provided they achieved the world standard.

Jevaughn Powell, the country’s top quarter-miler this season, proved too much for Anthony Cox and Nathon Allen to secure his first national title in a new season’s best 45.50.

However, Taylor – who finished seventh in 45.91 – was drafted into the team as Cox did not achieve the world standard.

And earlier today Taylor achieved his first goal in Eugene that of getting out of the preliminary round.

“The aim was to come out here and did enough to make it through to the semifinals and that’s what I did,” said Taylor after a second-place finish behind two-time US champion Michael Norman in the second heat.

Taylor finished in 45.68. An easy-looking Norman won in 45.37 seconds.

The 24-year-old Norman has a golden opportunity on home soil to finally claim an individual 400m title on the global stage.

Taylor said that he executed his race to perfection.

“My technique was pretty well,” he said. “The aim was just to stay fresh for the first 60m, find a good position on the backstretch, maintain it from there and stay within four metres of Norman, and that is what I did.”

The semifinals will are scheduled for Wednesday and Taylor has a good plan of how to get into the medal round on Friday.

“I just want to run faster than I did in the heat right now because it will be a very tough semifinal.”

Taylor will again run against Norman in the semifinal.

“I just have to get my mind to prepare to do whatever it takes to make it to the final and that’s my aim,” said Taylor.

He explained his poor run at the National trials.

“I just got a huge muscle contract in the hamstring quad in the semifinal but I had to go and run because they wouldn’t bring me on the team,” said Taylor.

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