Jamaica’s 400 metres hurdler Annsert Whyte Whyte wanted to match Danny McFarlane’s Olympic Games feat in the event, but fell short on Thursday (Aug 18), when he finished fifth in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
McFarlane had switched from the flat 400 metres to the obstacle version and had won a silver medal at the Athens, Greece 2004 Olympic Games and established himself is a major player. His switch happened later in his career, when making Jamaica’s team in the flat 400, got a little more difficult for him.
Whyte had struggled to make the Jamaica 400 metres teams and decided to switch with the hope that, like McFarlane, he his natural speed would have been good enough to cover any delinquency he had hurdling.
However, while he fell short of achieving McFarlane’s feat, he is comfortable with his decision and how his journey to Brazil, worked out.
He said, “I am just happy that I made the final and then came out with a PB (personal best). And it is my first Olympics and I have been having a great Olympics so I cannot complain. I wanted to win a medal but it didn’t work out, but God provided me with a big BP so I am grateful for that.”
Whyte improved his personal best after all the three races that he ran at the Olympic Games, doing 48.37 seconds in the heats, 48.32 in the semifinals and 48.07 in the final, with the latter placing him fifth in the event, which was won by Kerron Clement of the United States of America in 47.73. Boniface Mucheru of Kenya was second in 47.78 and Yasmani Copello of Turkey third in 47.92.
He said, “that is how it is. I gave it my all and I just have to be grateful that I finish the season injury free. I started the season good and got injured. Came back with a different coach and that was kind of hard at first, but we worked together and we came here with a goal and we have accomplished it.
“We might have wanted a medal but we didn’t get it, but we get something even better, a personal best.
“Danny McFarlane, I saw him started with the 400 and switched and run the 400 hurdles and he did great. He got silver and I wanted to try and see if I could have gotten a medal but it didn’t work out. I got a personal best so I am grateful same way,” he said.
