110th Millrose Games Diaries: Omar McLeod explains being the first Jamaican hurdle gold medalist

Omar McLeod, IAAF Golden Gala, 2016, photo by PhotoRun.net

I have enjoyed watching Omar McLeod racing over the past few years. After his fine win in Portland World Indoors last year, I met him and congratulated him on the victory. Omar was obviously happy with his victory. In Rio, Omar McLeod kept his cool, and, in the semi-final and final, showed his racing prowess and his speed, taking the gold, and becoming the first Jamaican hurdle gold medalist.

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The following interview was provided by Nick Nicholas, for the 2017 Millrose Games Press conference. Special thanks to the Millrose team for their assistance.

To learn more about the 2017 Millrose Games, please go to http://www.nyrrmillrosegames.org/meet-schedule/. Remember, USATF.TV will show LIVE from 12 Eastern to 4 PM Eastern. NBC will go from 4 PM to 6 PM.

110^th NYRR Millrose Games Quotes

Omar McLoed

Question: You’re the first Jamaican to ever win the hurdles … It must have been a big thrill having won the gold medal.

Omar: Yes it was. Like you said, I’m the first Jamaican to ever to do it. Once you’re the first no one can ever take that away from you. It was a huge honor. I wasn’t only doing it for myself. I was doing it for all the kids back home who are inspiring to be hurdlers. Jamaica is not really known for hurdling. I really think I had a burden on my shoulder to not only do it for myself but do it for my country for the kids who are looking to be hurdlers. I know when I was a kid I was looking at (inaudible Jamaican athlete name) and Usain Bolt ‘do it’; you just want to ‘do it’ too. Having the chance and the opportunity to get it done was a huge highlight for me and I’m really grateful.

Question: What age did you start running?

Omar: Good question. When you’re a Jamaican, track is the sport. You literally grow up running barefoot down the road – a kid racing to the shops with his friends. Track is the sport there so you want to find the nearest track or find the nearest grass field just to run. That’s where it all began.

Question: When did you start hurdling?

Omar: Another good question. My mom told me I used to jump over everything in my way. I’d see a box in my way on the street or buckets. I think I was born to hurdle, to be honest. But officially I started in high school when I was 15.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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