Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper has credited her coaching staff for sticking by her side after a worrying start to the season.
Tapper was one of the stories of the games after battling to bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles. The athlete’s performance, which saw her making up ground on world record holder Kendra Harrison in the closing stages of the race, was highlighted by a new personal best of 12.53. In retrospect though, Tapper admits that getting there was far from a straightforward process.
At the Ter Specke Bokaal meet, in the Netherland, she began the season in underwhelming fashion after finishing third in 13.72, and with the Olympics just months away there was plenty to be concerned about.
“Granted the weather conditions we the total opposite of what I was used to, but I’m an Olympic caliber athlete and I was running 13.7, everyone was worried, but no one made me feel like I was not worth it,” Tapper told SportsMax.TV’s InCaseYouMissedIT.
“They continued to invest the same amount of time and effort and even more and it made me feel safe. As an athlete, feeling safe and worthy and worth it when you don’t perform at your best, is really, really important,” she added.
In Tokyo, Tapper, the country’s national champion, became the first Jamaican woman to medal in the event.