Zwede HewittThe 22 year old is the 2005 World Youth medley relay silver medallist (running in the heats for Trinidad and Tobago).
Hewitt won the 2007 Carifta title in the Turks and Caicos in 47.14. Later that year he copped the silver at the Pan American Junior Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 46.04 and led Trinidad and Tobago 4 x 400m team to gold in a national junior record in 3:05:70, a 2007 world leading junior time, beating the USA and Jamaica.
He went on to make the semifinals in the 2008 World Juniors in Bydgoszcz, Poland and was selected as part of the TT senior relay team pool for the Olympics Games in Beijing, China.
Hewitt spoke with trackalerts.com reporter Clayton Clarke after his victory.
CC: Congratulations on winning the 2010 National 400m title. How are you feeling after the victory?
ZH: I am feeling good. Renny didn't run and he is the number one quarter miler in the country right now. I came in at number two. I was really expected to race again him. He has been running well in the last couple years. So I knew it would definitely be a challenge to run against him. When I saw he wasn't running I saw it as an opportunity to score a good victory so I went out there and remained focused and did what I had to do and I came out with a win.
CC: The race had two false starts. How did that affect you?
ZH: That didn't really faze me. I came out there to run so a false start was not going to bother me once I wasn't the one false starting. Eight people in the race seven could false start once it wasn't me.
CC: You ran 46.20. Were you expecting a faster time?
ZH: After the race I knew I could have run a little faster. Early this year I ran 45 point three times. My PR is 45.70 seconds. I really wanted to go there and run 45. When I got out there I felt comfortable. I got to the 200 mark and made up the staggers on a couple of guys. So I figure if I relax on the turn no way they could pass me on the homestretch. My race is usually for fun not for time. But I was running to get the win. If I wasn't going as the favourite I would try and get the time because that is the best I can do. Now I was the favorite it was just to live up to my expectations and get the win so that was my main goal. It wasn't such to say you run the fastest time. The time will come. I have other opportunities I have NACAC Under 23 next week and CAC Games.
CC: You just finished your second year at Baylor and your broke 46 seconds for the first time this year. What made the difference?
ZH: The other years I have been shape but I have not running my race right. This year for the first time I have been running my race correctly.
CC: What is your race?
ZH: In the past couple years I was making mistakes like slowing down too much on the backstretch and I did not finish coming home. Before I would run my second curve so hard that I would fade on the home stretch. This year I have been a lot more consistent and I have learned how to conserve my energy and use it when I need it. I have been running a lot more technically.
CC: What are you majoring at Baylor?
ZH: Business.
CC: How are balancing your studies and the track?
ZH: It's tough. Baylor has a good business school. I have some tough classes but I try.
CC: Who is your coach?
ZH: Clyde Hart.
CC: Do you plan to compete at the Commonwealth Games?
ZH: No because school would have started back for me and next year is a big year with the World Championships. So the Commonwealth Games will take away from my off-season training and I will be missing too much school.
