Photo: Jamaica discus record holder Fedrick Dacres
Describing his selection to Jamaica’s World University Games team as an honour, national record holder in the discus Fedrick Dacres will lead a very strong contingent to the games in Chinese Taipei between August 19th and 30th. This will be right on the heels of his participation at the World Championships in London, England which takes place between August 4th and 13th.
The University of the West Indies student is not downplaying the significance of the championship and aims to perform at his best despite the timing of the event.
“I am a competitor so I will just go out there trying to give a good account of myself and trying to get it (the discus) as far as I can,” he assured.
The 23 year old feels that the timing of the event will actually be good for him as the pressure is likely to be less in terms of expectations, given that the World Championships are held in much higher esteem.
“I don’t think I will be as pressured coming out of the World Championships but it is always nice to give a good account of yourself, so I will try to get everything in my head right and do what I am supposed to do,” Dacres explained.
The former ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championship standout is happy about the composition of the team to the games.
“These are the athletes that I have been competing with from junior level so it’s nice seeing familiar faces. I have no doubt they will all perform well at the World University Games.”
There has been a lot of talk in track and field circles and in the media about athletes making the transition from the junior to the senior level so it is quite pleasing for Dacres to see the number of his peers who are competing at the highest level.
“I feel very good to see so many athletes making the transition from the junior to the senior ranks. I am actually glad to be a part of the transition because I was doubted quite a bit and I am here at this point, so I am really thankful and I see my friends and colleagues coming through as well.
“It’s really humbling to see the guys that I made the World Youth team in 2011, the majority of them are on the World Championship team so they have also made the transition, so I am just glad for all of us.”
Dacres who has a personal best of 68.38m done this year has his eyes on creating history by becoming the first Jamaican to win gold at both the World Championships and World University Games.
“I want to be a part of history because I would be the first Jamaican to win the discus if I won at the World University Games. Even at the World Championships I would like to be the first Jamaican to actually win, so I have to keep calm and pull through,” he expressed.
When quizzed about whether or not travelling and competing affects him as much as a track athlete he said it was pretty much the same.
“An athlete is an athlete when all is said and done, so travelling and changing from time zone to time zone will have its negative and positive effects. Because I have insomnia it doesn’t really affect me as much as it would affect a normal person with a regular sleeping pattern, but it does affect me because it drains me a bit, but I adapt quicker to the conditions.”
Dacres will be completing his final year at university next school year and want to finish just as strong as he does when he is competing in the discus.
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