Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor says merely making the 400-metre final on debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is enough motivation for him to push even harder in his now budding professional career.
Taylor is the first Jamaican man to qualify for the 400m Olympic final in 17 years, dating back to the Athens Games in 2004.
That he clocked a personal best of 44.79 seconds despite placing sixth, was the icing on the cake. He labelled it the biggest achievement he could have taken from the one-lap event in a world-class line-up.
World champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas won gold in 43.85s, ahead of Colombia’s Anthony Zambrano (44.08s) and Grenada’s Kirani James (44.19s).
“It was amazing; I didn’t stress things. I just said, ‘By the will of God I am going to go out there and produce something in the final. If I don’t make the podium, then I am going to leave with at least a personal best’. I did that,” Taylor said in his post-race interview.
At just 21 years old, the former Calabar High school star is aware that there is a lot of scope for improvement, and says he will be using this achievement to defy the battles with injury in his quest for continued growth.
“Knowing the quality of athlete that I am from high school days coming forward, I know once I get over my injury and keep on working towards it, I’ll be performing better as time goes by.
“I have been having a rough season and I came out here and produced a personal best which says a lot and come next year I’ll be training harder because I am more motivated now,” said Taylor.
Despite also having a personal best of 20.35 seconds for the 200m, Taylor said the decision is left to his coach Rana Reider at the Florida-based Tumbleweed to determine if he pursues the double.
“My coach was there day in and day out with me making sure everything is correct and last season everything just started falling into place for this moment,” the former World Youth star noted.
“So, I leave that up to my coach. He says I am one of the best 400m and 200m athletes he has ever come across, the fastest for sure because of the raw speed that I have. But I don’t know what his plan is. I will just work with him and see what happens going forward,” he added.
For now though, Taylor’s aim is to end the Tokyo Games on an even bigger note with a medal in the 4X400m relay.
“Once we come out and execute in the first round and make it in the final then everything is done. We will be on the podium for sure. So I just need the guys to go out there do what they need to do to get the stick around in a qualifying spot and we will be in the final.
