World Athletics Championships finalist Roshawn Clarke made a winning return to competition at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston on Saturday, taking the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.65 seconds at the National Stadium. The 20-year-old was competing for the first time since failing to finish at the Miami leg of the Grand Slam Track series in early May, and he looked sharp as he held off a late charge from compatriot Assinie Wilson, who finished second in 48.77. Reigning national champion Malik James-King was third in 48.87.
Clarke’s return to winning form underscored a bigger message: Jamaica needs more elite-level meets to support the growth and development of its athletes. With the cancellation of the Jamaica Athletics Invitational in May, the Racers Grand Prix stands alone as the only international-calibre meet on home soil—a fact not lost on Clarke.
“As a top Jamaican athlete, I think Jamaica is right up there. We need to keep as many meets like this as possible,” he said. “Over the next few years, we should have more meets like this coming.”
Despite the setback in Miami, Clarke said the early season Grand Slam Track series has been instrumental in helping him improve his overall performance and race readiness.
“It helped me a lot. It helped me with the rounds and it helped me get faster—especially from running on the flat four as well,” Clarke explained. “So it’s good, to be honest.”
He also provided an update on the leg injury that forced him out of action last month. “The leg is good. It has recovered very good, so I’m not worrying about that,” he said. “I would say I’m 100 per cent, but I don’t feel like I’m at where I should be. But it’s good.”
Though Saturday’s time wasn’t a season's best, Clarke emphasized that execution—not speed—was his focus, given the relative lack of competition compared to his rivals.
“I just came out here trying to get my execution right,” he said. “Today (Saturday) it was a little up and down, but I came out and got the win—that’s the main thing. They’ve had more races than me, so I didn’t expect anything more than what happened.”
With the Jamaican National Championships just two weeks away, Clarke is locking in on his preparations.
“Training, training, training—and everything will fall into place,” he said confidently.
Saturday’s result marked more than just a return to the top of the podium—it was a statement from a young star who believes Jamaica not only has the talent, but also deserves the platform to showcase it regularly.