LOS ANGELES (United States) — Newly minted 110m hurdles world record holder Ja’Kobe Tharp says the “sky’s the limit” as he prepares to return to Hayward Field in Eugene Diamond League athletics meeting.
Tharp, 20, erased the nearly 14-year-old world record with a stunning 12.75sec in the heats of the NCAA collegiate championships last month.
He took more than a quarter of a second off his previous personal best of 13.01, and Tharp said he is confident he can go even faster.
“I’ve watched it 10, 15 times,” he said of the race that he acknowledged surprised even himself. “My start was OK. It was efficient but it wasn’t the best as I think it could have been.
“And my last three could definitely be a little bit better … I’m going to take that down again soon.”
Speaking at a press conference before the Prefontaine Classic, the only US stop on the Diamond League calendar, Tharp said he didn’t know if it would be as soon as Saturday.
“So I’ve been trying to just keep the main thing as the main thing — stay focused as best as I can,” Tharp said according to AFP.
“I mean, it has made it easier because I wasn’t planning on going out there and doing that. So I really know now that if I just go out there and execute, the sky’s the limit.”
Tharp’s first test on an elite stage since he broke the record will also mark his first since turning professional this week.
