Jamaican hurdler Hansle Parchment admits he did not know much about Doha as he prepared for his trip to the Qatari capital for his first appearance at the Doha Diamond League meeting.
The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and 2015 world silver medallist hopes that the same energy will translate into similar enthusiasm and drive on the track.
Parchment said: “I’m looking forward to the start of the competition. I think we’re going to see a great battle between the athletes.”
With a personal best of 12.94s, Parchment is one of a group of five men who have broken 13 seconds, and their paths will cross in Doha on Friday evening, making the men’s 110m hurdles one of the most anticipated events for athletics fans at the 2016 Doha meeting, which opens the Diamond League series for the seventh year running.
His compatriot Omar McLeod, who surprised everyone by winning the World Indoor title last March, arrives in Doha as the current world leader, having set the mark last week at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, an impressive run given the harsh weather conditions in which it was achieved.
McLeod said: “It was a bit of a surprise for me too, how fast the race was, especially since it was my first race there and the weather was very cold with strong winds. I know it will be completely different on Friday.”
McLeod, who turned 22 last month, joined the exclusive club of sub-13 second hurdlers last year when he clocked 12.94s to win the Jamaican title. He never expected that nine months later he would be introduced as a world champion.
McLeod said: “It was an indescribable feeling. I never imagined I would be a world champion at 21. It was really joyful, I’m extremely proud of it, and I enjoyed the moment. But after that I had to get straight back to work and focus on the bigger championships – the outdoor season and the Rio Olympics. I had to move past the celebrations quickly and get on with the next steps.”
The Jamaican grabbed attention again last month, in his first race of the year, a 100m which he won in 9.99s. That made him the first man ever to go under 10 seconds for 100m and under 13 seconds for the 110m hurdles. It was a distinction he never expected.
“Honestly, that was just raw speed,” he says, laughing as he admits the race itself wasn’t pretty.
He adds: “That was my first 100m in five or six years. I didn’t really know what I was doing in that race. I didn’t even know what to do in the last 20 metres. I was over-striding and thinking, what’s going on? because it felt so strange not having hurdles in front of me.”
His rivals’ admiration was clear to see.
Parchment said with a laugh: “Honestly, I’m not sure I could reach that kind of speed. I can’t see myself doing that, and I’d have to train hard for it.”
David Oliver, the 2013 world champion, sounded equally doubtful, saying: “I’d be happy to run 10.50s – I really don’t have that kind of speed.”
But despite lacking that extra gear, Oliver is no stranger to Doha or the intense racing that the meeting’s conditions tend to produce. The 34-year-old American set the Doha meeting record of 12.98 back in 2008 and will be chasing a fourth win at Qatar SC. He loves the Friday meeting, and the area around the stadium in general.
“There are so many excellent athletes racing right now, and each of us has our own skills and style,” says Oliver, whose career-best time makes him the fourth-fastest man of all time. “There are eight guys racing now who have gone under 13 seconds, and that’s never happened before. So this race is going to be one worth watching.”
Five of those eight will go head-to-head on the Doha track on Friday. Alongside Oliver, Parchment and McLeod are world record holder Aries Merritt of the United States (12.80s) and Spain’s Orlando Ortega (12.94s).
