... aims at new personal best

GORDON WILLIAMS, Star Writer
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, USA:

Jamaica's fastest schoolboy is aiming to drastically improve his personal best time in the 100 metres this year, but his coach insists Jazeel Murphy won't be forced to test himself against the country's 'big boys' of sprinting.

Despite Murphy's 100 metres win in his first year competing in Class One at ISSA's Boys and Girls' Championships, and especially his impressive victory for Jamaica in the event during his debut in the Under-20 division at the CARIFTA Games last month, he will not be matched against Jamaica's excellent crop of senior sprinters, which includes Usain Bolt, the world record holder in the 100 and 200.

According to Carl Page, Murphy's coach at Bridgeport High, the fourth former will be moved along carefully, restricted to competing against his own age group in the 100 and 200. But Page believes Murphy will lower his best of 10.27 seconds in the 100, which he ran at CARIFTA, by July's IAAF World Youth Championships.

"We're working towards the World Youth coming up," Page said while attending the 117th Penn Relays here last weekend. "We're looking for a 10.1."

The World Junior record of 10.01 was set by Trinidad and Tobago's Darrel Brown in 2003 at age 18 years and 172 days, and equalled by American Jeffrey Demps (18 years, 172 days) in 2008.

The coach's assessment would appear good enough to earn Murphy, who turned 17 in late February, a lane at next month's senior national trials to pick Jamaica's team for this summer's IAAF World Championships in Athletics (WCA) in Daegu, South Korea. But he plans to heed his coach.

"If my coach said 'Jazeel, you can run', I will run," Murphy said. "I don't really know which track meet (I will run). In Jamaica, I don't really get to run in a lot of track meets because my coach said he wants me to rest for the focused track meets, the big track meets."

Page insisted Murphy won't race the big boys.

"We're going out just for the World Youth and that will be basically it for the season," he said. "Not pushing him for the seniors yet. He'll be just in his age group same way. He's not going to the big one yet.

"Maybe for next year but not for this year. It doesn't make any sense trying to force him with the bigger guys right now."

The coach said Murphy still battles injuries linked to "growth spurts." He was fitted with a special shoe insole to compensate for one of his legs being shorter. This season he has had pain in his knees, hamstring, back and shin. He also suffered a thigh strain while anchoring Jamaica's winning 4x100-metre relay team at CARIFTA.

Murphy has been barred from lifting weights, fearing that may cause further damage. That programme may start when he turns 18.

"An athlete of Jazeel's calibre, how fast he's running, you don't need to put him on the weights yet," Page explained.

"Weights stunt your growth spurts sometimes, so starting maybe now, weights may stunt him a little. I'll just let him mature."

Murphy, meanwhile, said he admires the accomplishments of Bolt and former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell. He has spoken to both and "looks up to them". They have offered encouragement.

"Usain Bolt calls me 'youngster'," said Murphy chuckling, "and talks 'bout I'm too fast for my age group."

Maybe. Just not fast enough - yet - to run with the big boys.