"This year has been my best season so far In terms of my shape and what I have been doing in training and I think I will do better this year than what I did last year."

That's a remarkable prediction considering her strides in 2010 and if Kaliese Spencer's words prove to be prophetic, then we are all on the brink of witnessing something truly special from the Westmoreland native.

In 2010, she was the IAAF Diamond League winner for the 400m hurdles and only two women had gone faster than her personal best 53.33 seconds but the MVP Track Club athlete is expecting last year's exploits to pale in comparison to her 2011 performances.

full of confidence

Spencer, a former World Youth champion, will be reporting to this weekend's Jamaica Athletics Administrative Associ-ation/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships, fitter, stronger and full of confidence.

"Training has been going well, I am in great shape and hopefully I'll be able to do something special at trials," Spencer told Star Sports.

"I'm very confident, last season was great and this year I am training even better so I'm expecting to be even better this season."

"I certainly expect to be running faster times, my endurance is really up there and I've been in the gym more, getting stronger so I'm looking to go faster this year," Spencer added.

"I have been working on a lot of things in training; pretty much everything but being specific I have been concentrating on my strength and hurdling technique."

The 24-year-old will be running both the flat 400m as well as her pet event the 400m hurdles as she looks to join world champion and training partner Melaine Walker as one of Jamaica's four representatives in the one-lap hurdle event as well as secure a spot on the mile relay team.

"I'll be running both events come trials, I'll be doing the 400m so that I can get a spot on the 4x400m and also the 400m hurdles," Spencer confirmed.

She was, however, quick to dismiss the possibility of her representing Jamaica in the flat 400m at this summer's IAAF World Champion-ships in Athletics.

"I definitely will not be doing the flat 400m, my focus is on the 400m hurdles," she pointed out.

Spencer (53.45), this year's number two ranked 400m hurdles athlete, also took time out to speak of her relationship with Walker, who herself is the third fastest in the event this year with a 53.56 clocking.

"We certainly don't have a rivalry, we are team-mates, we train together and on any day, any of us can win," Spencer said. "She (Walker) is very motivating, we train together every day and if either is tired one of us is there to push the other, it's a friendly thing and healthy competition."

- A.L.