Jamaica’s 2019 World Championships discus silver medallist Fedrick Dacres is yet to return to full training and is now in a serious race against time to qualify for, then make an impact at the Olympic Games.
Dacres, Jamaica’s 2018 Sportsman-of-the-Year, tore a ligament in his right hand in October which required surgery. He has been out of competitive action since.
But with the Jamaican Championships (Trials) tentatively set for June 24 and the Olympic Games one month later, Dacres said he is unsure of what will happen.
“Not sure. To be honest I am not sure,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
He continued: “I can say the only thing I can do at this point is try. So for me it’s just preparing as best as I can for the period and hopefully, I will be good enough to make the team and I will be ready by then.”
Since the implementation of COVID-19-related restrictions Dacres has been working out in the gym while taking care of his company, Grand Connection Investments.
“Training has been on hold for a while. I just started doing some heavy work in terms of lower body. Hand not ready to get out there yet,” he stressed.
The reigning Commonwealth Games champion is one of Jamaica’s main medal hopes, who last competed on August 8, 2020.
The 27-year-old was the first Jamaican discus thrower to win an international medal when he struck gold at the 2011 World Under-18 Championships. He followed that up with gold at the 2012 World Junior Under-20 Championships.
The former Calabar High School standout who has a personal best of 70.78m — which is the national record — is yet to make his mark at the Olympic Games.
