Assinie Wilson sent a strong message to the world on Saturday, March 22, when he opened his 2025 season with a world-leading 48.68 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Velocity Fest 16 meet at Jamaica College’s Ashenheim Stadium.
It was the kind of performance that turned heads—not just because of the time, but because it came in his first outing of the year. For Coach Gregory Little, however, it was no surprise. According to the man who has helped guide the resurgence of Wilson and training partner Malik James-King, the performance is the result of months of hard work, competitiveness in training, and a carefully designed preseason plan.
“That was his first race, actually,” Little said. “He made some mistakes, too—but still managed to open with 48.6, which says a lot.”
Wilson’s performance echoes the breakthrough James-King experienced last year. After running 49.66 in 2023, James-King stunned the national field with a 47.42-second victory at the 2024 Jamaica National Championships, securing his first national title and a spot at the Paris Olympic Games, where he reached the semi-finals.
“Last year, we saw the success with Malik, how he ran super hard at Nationals and dropped time,” Little explained. “And I believe Assinie wanted a name for himself. You could see it in training—he was pushing himself, giving maximum effort. That competitiveness in the group really helped.”
Malik James-King
That “iron sharpens iron” dynamic between Wilson and James-King has been key to the camp’s rise in the 400m hurdles.
“They push each other in training—it creates a healthy environment where both of them get better through competition,” said Little.
Physically, Wilson has taken major strides forward. A former 800m runner, Wilson brought a strong aerobic base into hurdling, and Little has capitalized on that strength with a rigorous training program.
“We’ve been doing a lot of the same things—hills, stadium stairs, sled work—that forms our base,” said Little. “But we also focused more on gym work this year, and that made him a lot stronger. His endurance is way better, too.”
The timing of the 48.60 run is significant. With the Jamaican National Trials still months away, Wilson is showing elite-level form while still in the general preparation phase of training.
“There’s still a lot of room for improvement,” Little noted. “We’ve only just started easing out of background training—still doing some sled work, still working through resistance training. We’re trying to strike that balance: stay sharp for races while still building for the peak later in the season.”
Given the rapid progression James-King made last season—from 49s to 47.42—there is reason to believe Wilson could soon be knocking on the sub-48-second door himself.
“If someone opens at 48.6 in March, the plan has to be to go faster,” said Little. “Definitely—we believe he can.”
With the World Championships in Tokyo on the horizon and Jamaica’s hurdling ranks rising fast, Assinie Wilson has thrown his name firmly into the mix. Under Gregory Little’s guidance and alongside the in-form Malik James-King, he could be one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season.