DEMARIO Prince says a talk with his coach after the first round got his mind back where it was supposed to be, leading him to win the gold medal in the 110m hurdles on Monday’s first day of track and field at the Commonwealth Games at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. Jamaica won two gold medals on the day as, minutes before Prince’s run, Romaine Beckford won the men’s high jump. Beckford’s leap to clear 2.25m brought Jamaica’s second gold in the event at the games and first in 68 years.
Prince, the fourth-straight Jamaican and fifth in the last six editions to win the 110m gold medal, ran 13.17 seconds (0.4m/s) to claim his first major global medal. Prince, who was fourth in the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March, was delighted with the win. You know, that was the aim coming into the Commonwealth Games.
You know, just to get the gold medal, do it for myself, my family, and the fans. So yeah, I’m very, very pleased, very happy with the win,” Prince told the Jamaica Observer. The sprint hurdler said he believes this is the start of good things to come.
“I feel like I can still give more and still wrap up more gold medals,” he said, noting that he had not been happy with his first round race in which he placed second. “I was more confident going into the final, I just had to go back in the mindset to know that I can go out there and execute as I was not pleased with the prelims. I spoke to coach Ben (Dalton) and he told me not to worry about anything, he told me that I can do this.
It is a regular thing for me to go out and execute and go get the medal for Jamaica,” Prince said. England’s Samuel Bennett ran a personal best 13.30 for the silver medal and Milan Trajkvoc clocked a season’s best 12.32 to deliver Cyprus’ first medal in the event. Jamaica’s Jerome Campbell was sixth in 13.86.
Beckford, who was eighth in 2022 and failed to clear the first height at last year’s World Athletics Championships, became the first Jamaican man to win the event since 1958 when Ernle Haisley set a then Commonwealth Games record 2.06m to capture gold. India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare, who also cleared 2.25m, took the silver medal. England’s NCAA champion Kimani Jack was third with 2.20m.
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