TrackAlerts.com met up with Darion Skerritt of St. Joseph Academy who won the 200m and 400 m double in times of 21.90 seconds and 50.11 seconds respectively at the just concluded Coca-Cola Inter-school Championships in Antigua and Barbuda.
Darion discusses his plans to represent his country in the Olympics and the possibility of breaking the 200 metres world record which is held by Jamaica's Usain Bolt and also the 400 metres world record which is held by American Michael Johnson.
TrackAlerts (TA): Darion you have won the 200 metres and 400 metres double. Tell us about your performance first of all?
Darion Skerritt (DS): First of all I feel very good. This is my first year of training actually for Inter-school. Last year I came and took the silver medals in the 200/400 metres without training, so this year I am very excited that I won the double.
TA: Where do you see yourself, do you plan to take track and field serious?
DS: Yes I do, in the future I am aiming to train in Jamaica with Glen Mills and to take track and field to a higher level, also to take part in the Olympics.
TA: You made mention of Glen Mills. What do you know about him?
DS: First of all, I know he is the coach of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake my two motivators, so he actually inspires me.
TA: What do you hope to achieve from track and field?
DS: My aim is to hold the world records in the 200 metres and the 400 metres.
TA: Usain Bolt holds the world record in the 200 metres in a time of 19.19 seconds and Michael Johnson holds the world record in 400 metres in 43.18 seconds. What do you think about getting to those times and how long will it take you?
DS: Well anything is possible now for me. There is nothing as "I can't or you can't" I hope to break the world records in the next ten years when I am around 24 or 25 years old.
TA: Are you enjoying the sport now?
DS: Yes a lot.
TA: Why?
DS: I see that I am doing really good in just one year of training.
TA: So you believe within another few years of training you will do extremely well. Where do you plan to train in the next two years? You are still young and in school, do you plan to stay in Antigua or do you plan to go elsewhere to complete your schooling?
DS: I would like to finish my high school education in Antigua and probably take up university in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies.
TA: How much do you know about Jamaican track and field?
DS: Well, not much I just know that a lot of athletes worldwide that perform good train in and come from Jamaica.
