Jamaica long jumper Tajay Gayle has admitted that he is excited to be adding the 100m sprint to his repertoire when the next track and field season gets underway.
Earlier this month, Stephen Francis the coach of Jamaica-based track club MVP, where Gayle plies his trade, had revealed that the athlete was set to add the 100m sprints to his list of disciplines for the 2021-2022 season.
Gayle, the 2019 Long Jump World champion, had shown plenty of promise last season after clocking a reasonably quick 10.18 over the distance. The athlete has spent a good portion of the offseason recovering from a knee injury, which negatively impacted his performance at the Olympics. It might be twice the work but Gayle admits that it is with a sense of excitement that he views the new season than apprehension.
“I wouldn’t say challenging, I would say exciting. All the fun the fear, the anxiety, and all the pressure that comes with it (100m), that’s what keeps me going,”
“The fact that I can lose or might lose, you just can’t be sure.
The final of the World Championship in the 100, the sky’s the limit, why not, why would I say I can’t. I wouldn’t say a challenge, it’s just an exciting year for me next year, once I get the knee up to speed.”