Shayne Fairman, STAR Writer

Despite making history as the first Jamaican schoolboy to run the 400 metres in under 45 seconds, Kingston College's Akeem Bloomfield remains academically grounded and ready to clock his maximum potential on track.

"The push really comes from my mother. Growing up, she always believed that even if you have a talent, academics should come first, and she is the one that cemented it in my mind to get an education, despite my potential in track and field," Bloomfield, who wishes to become a forensic scientist, told STAR Sports.

"I am very good at investigating, what is left to do is to finish up my CAPEs unit two and then I can make a transition to the tertiary level."

Bloomfield, who is now in the upper-sixth form, has 10 subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certi-ficate and four Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam-ination subjects.

"I didn't do as I wanted to do," admits Bloomfield of pure maths, maintaining he intends to finish sixth form on a high and get a good scholarship.

"I see a need to be academically balanced with my track and field. School is a priority; even if I become a pro athlete I will have to go to school at the same time," he said.

Earlier this year, the lanky 17-year-old clocked a stupendous 44.93 seconds to win Boys' class one at the GraceKennedy ISSA Boys & Girls' Athletic Championships.

He idolises Usain Bolt, Javon Francis, Kirani James and Lashawn Merritt, noting "majority of athletes don't see school as a necessity, I see it as a forefront in my development."

The athlete is hoping for a scholarship to a top tertiary institution, locally or abroad.