The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

QUARTER-miler Shaunae Miller could have been sitting on the top of the performance charts in both the women’s 200 and 400 metres so far this year.

But a wind reading of 2.2, just above the legal mark of 2.0, left her short of the top spot in the 200m following her impressive run of 22.14 seconds on Saturday at the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston.

“I just want to thank God for the opportunity to compete,” Miller told The Tribune. “My training has been going extremely well. This is my first full year with the new coaches and they have been doing a fantastic job. We’re just taking it step by step, but I’m extremely pleased with the progress that I’ve made so far.”

Miller, 22, produced the best time of 49.69 seconds in winning the 400m at the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational on April 16 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Like the one-lap race, the 6ft 2in Bahamian ran away from the pack coming off the curve and into the straight as she matched her time from last year, when she established a meet record.

“The good thing is I’m extremely strong. I’ve gotten a lot stronger this year,” she said. “Everything is going extremely well and I’m expecting a whole lot this year. Training has been going very well, so we’re expecting some great things going into Rio.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is the site for the 2016 Olympic Games in August, the biggest global meet this year.

Prior to going to Jamaica, Miller posted her personal best of 11.19 seconds in winning the 100m in Clermont, Florida. Her 22.14 last year in Jamaica is her 200m personal best and her lifetime best in the 400m is 49.67 that she ran on August 27, 2015 in Beijing, China for the silver medal at the IAAF World Championships.

With those numbers, it’s scary what the respective 2010 and 2011 IAAF World Youth and World Junior 400m champion is capable of achieving as she chases her first Olympic medal in Rio.

“I think everybody’s goal this year is to win a medal (at the Olympics),” she said. “We’ll see how things turn out.”

In her debut at the Olympics in London, England, in 2012, Miller had to stop running in the heats of the 400m. But she is sending out a message that she intends to get on the podium for her medal this time around.

“I guess they can take it how they want too, but right now I’m having a lot of fun in this sport,” she pointed out. “I enjoy what I do. A lot of people have been asking me what I’m going to do in Rio, but I don’t know right now.

“My coaches have told me that they will have the final say, so I’m going to wait until we sit down and make that decision. Right now I’m just having a lot of fun and trying to see how things will work out.”

Although she still have the option of competing in the 200m/400m double or just one of the two events, Miller said her heart is leaning more towards her specialty in the 400m.

“The 400m is my favourite event right now,” she insisted. “I just love it. The pain after running the event is crazy, but it’s definitely my best event right now.”

And based on how fast she’s running now, Miller said there are a lot of figures thrown in front of her face in terms of how much faster she can go in Rio. But she said she is not paying any attention to it.

“I’m just having fun right now,” she reiterated. “I’m just happy to see how I’m improving, I’m just happy to see my times drop, but whatever God has in store for me, I will take it.”

This weekend, Miller will be in Shanghai, China, as she competes in another IAAF Golden League Meet. She will be running the 400m, in which she is expected to face a challenge from some of her peers whom she will face in Rio.

“I’m expecting the girls to bring their A game as usual,” she projected. “This is going to be a tough year. This is an Olympic year and people drop a lot of fast times in an Olympic year, so I’m hoping for a really fast time in Rio.”

In Jamaica over the weekend, American Francena McCorory pulled off victory in a star-studded field in 50.52 seconds. Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills (50.87), Stephanie-Ann McPherson (51.20) and Christine Day (51.91) followed ahead of Great Britain’s Christine Ohuruogo (52.00).