In only Jehue Gordon’s second year of running with the big boys, fans tend to forget that even though he has accomplished so much in his young track career, the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) 400m hurdler is just 19 years old. Ever since his fourth-place finish at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, the Caribbean has come to expect much more of him. And in 2010, he didn’t disappoint when he copped gold at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.
It’s almost two years since Berlin, and many are already tracking Gordon, but last weekend, he came up short when he competed in the men’s 400m hurdles at the adidas Grand Prix meet in New York and managed only 49.78secs for 7th place behind winner Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson, who ran a season best 48.50 and USA’s Bershawn “Batman” Jackson (48.55). Gordon, the reigning 400m hurdles World Junior champion with a lifetime best 48.26secs and a season best 49.09, was very dissatisfied with his New York run.
“My race was messed-up from the start, I was thrown off and I knew I just had to finish the race. The weather was bad, but at the end of the day I had to come out and compete at my best. Those other guys [Culson and Jackson] came out and competed and they did well,” said the 2010 Carifta double hurdles gold medalist, who set records in winning the events and took home the Austin Sealy Award for the most outstanding athlete.
Regarding his preparation for the upcoming Trinidad National Trials for the World Championships later this summer, the tall youngster from the Land of the Hummingbird, who trains with the Memphis Track Club in Trinidad, said he felt confident and that his training was progressing really well. “It is all about putting this race [New York] behind me and moving on to the next one.”
Challenging
The soft-spoken Gordon, who signed a lucrative and incentive-laden deal with adidas in August 2010, also pointed out that he is adjusting well to life as a professional athlete. He admits that it can be very challenging at times to get off a flight on any given day and be ready to compete the following day.
A member of T&T’s 2009 Pan-Am Juniors silver medal mile relay team, the young 400m hurdles specialist is quite excited about his country’s 4×4 chances. “Last year we had one guy [Renny Quow] running below 45secs; this year we have three running sub-45. We will have a good 4×4 team because we have a good group of young guys.”
Gordon’s next race will be at the Trinidad Trials next week. -Edited by Desmond Palmer