Camacho-Quinn ready to dethrone Amusan as World 100m hurdles champion
Says she was not mentally ready for the high hurdles event in Oregon
Reigning Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn says she is mentally ready to add the World ttile to the Olympic gold she won in Tokyo, Japan in 2021.
The Puerto Rican ran 12.23 to win the bronze medal in the final in Oregon last year but the 21 year old is excited to face familiar foes in Budapest.
‘A year ago I put a lot of pressure on myself and I wasn’t even excited for the Worlds because I was so out of it mentally. This year, I’ve been focussed on myself, thinking track and field. I’m back in love with the sport.
‘But I won’t stress myself out trying to be perfect. But I think the meetings I’ve run this year prepared me for this,’ said Camacho-Quinn who will have to think of Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who was cleared by the Athletics Integrity Unit Thursday to defend her title after three whereabouts failures charge.
Camacho-Quinn says she is ready to compete.
‘When I woke up this morning I realised it is the count-down now, so I’m excited. I’m happy to be able to go out on the track today and get a feel for the
surface. I’m ready to compete.
‘It’s normal for an athlete to have a winner’s mindset but I will take it race by race. I’m keen to enjoy the process and not to overthink everything.’
She holds an 11-6 lead over Amusan but has lost in crucial races against the Nigerian.
She lost to Amusan at the World Championships in Oregon and at the Diamond League final in Zurich, both in 2021.
She also failed to stop Amusan in her revenge mission in 2017 at the NCAA final in Eugene, Oregon, losing by the narrowest of margins (12.57 to 12.58)
The Nigerian thus extracted her pound of flesh after her defeat by the Puerto Rican a year earlier at the Championships.
