Hubert Lawrence, STAR Writer

Andrew Parker, the 1987 Pan-Am champion in the 110 metre hurdles, is backing Hansle Parchment to win medals at the World Championships this summer in Beijing and next year at the Olympics.

Parker was among the spectators on day two at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Parker is very impressed with Parchment and recommends that he stays consistent.

Like the Olympic bronze medal winner, Parker is very tall but he stays away from suggestions that their hurdling styles are similar. "He has better technique and he's very fast", analysed Parker. "I've seen a lot of good hurdlers and the guy is good", he pronounced.

"If he keeps on doing whatever he's doing, he surmised, "he"ll probably medal again", he predicted.

Parker knows what he's talking about. He won the Class One 110m hurdles for Calabar High at Boys' Championships in 1983 and went on to a distinguished career at Arizona State University, with the Pan-Am gold medal as the pinnacle of his career.

The respected US magazine Track and Field News ranked two Jamaicans in its 2014 top team, Parchment at number three and Commonwealth champion Andrew Riley at five. With former national record holder Dwight 'Bigga' Thomas on the mend after some injuries, Jamaica is very strong in Parker's old pet event.

Added to that, Omar McLeod, Jaheel Hyde and Tyler Mason have all won major honours.

McLeod has twice won the NCAA indoor 60 metre hurdles, while Hyde is the World Youth and Youth Olympic champion. Last year, Mason was a brilliant second at the World Junior Championships.

"Compared to when I was running, I think there is more emphasis placed on the hurdles than back then", he said. "I think the coaches are better', he explained, " and the kids that are coming, much better also."

Coincidentally, Parker's coach at Calabar was Fitz Coleman who guided Parchment to the Olympic bronze.

Hubert Lawernce watched Parker win at Sabina Park in 1983.