By: Rey O’Neal, A.T.F.S.
Kyron McMaster broke 48s with a time of 47.80s in 400m hurdles on May 20 at the 2017 Jamaica International Invitational – a rare achievement in the sport. Photo source: BVIAA Facebook Page
On Saturday, May 20, 2017, Kyron McMaster, a 20-year old British Virgin Islands hurdler achieved the most outstanding individual athletic performance by a competitor from his country when he dominated a quality field to clock 47.80 seconds over the 400 metre hurdles at the Jamaica International Invitational track meet in Kingston.
His rivals included the two-time World Athletics Champion in the event, Bershawn”Batnan’ Jackson of the U.S.A., former Olympic Games medalists Michael Tinsley of the U.S.A., and Javier Culson of Puerto Rico, and Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde,who had won the event at the last two I.A.A.F. World Junior (Under-20) Championships, at the latter of which McMaster had become his country’s first individual medalist at a global event outdoors, finishing third behind Hyde.
Kyron McMaster now ranks as the world’s fastest for the 400 metre hurdles in 2017 and makes him No.28 on the World All-Time list.
Among athletes from the C.A.C. (Central America and Caribbean) region, he stands as fifth fastest behind double Olympic champion, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, the regional record holder at 48.25 seconds; Winthrop Graham of Jamaica (47.60), a medalist at both the Olympic Games and World Championships; Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago (47.69), a World Champion at both the Junior and Senior levels; and Culson, an Olympic medalist who may be the world’s most consistent performer at major Championships over the past decade, with a best performance of 47.72 seconds.
Kyron McMaster also ranks as the second fastest 20 year old ever, behind Trinidad-born, American Kerron Clement (47.24).
Clement, winner of two World Championships, an Olympic title and a world record in the 400 metres flat, has somewhat surprisingly never again run as fast as he did in his 20th year (2005).
Actually sub-48 second clockings are quite rare. No runner in the world achieved the feat in 2014. There were three in 2013, one 1n 2015 and four in 2016. Of those athletes mentioned, five have run faster than Kyron McMaster.
Congratulations are very much in order for Kyron McMaster and his coaches Dag Samuels and Steve Augustine.
