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Rushell Clayton Delivers Best Race of the Season to Claim Third National 400m Hurdles Title
Written by Leighton Levy. Posted in Athletics. | 29 June 2025 | 235 Views
Tags: 400M Hurdles, Andrenette Knight, Jamaica National Championships, Rushell Clayton, Shian Salmon

Rushell Clayton showed the heart of a champion on Saturday night, powering to victory in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Jamaica National Championships in Kingston. The 33-year-old Olympian and two-time World Championships bronze medallist clocked a season-best 53.81 seconds to win her third national title, completing a remarkable turnaround after an injury-plagued season.

Clayton, who represents Elite Performance Track Club, has struggled to find her rhythm all year. After picking up an injury in April during the Grand Slam Track meet, she admitted to feeling “heartbroken” by the early-season setback. But on the biggest stage, everything came together.

“I honestly think that has been the best execution I’ve done all season,” Clayton said after her win. “I got my strides where I wanted them. They weren’t as fast as I would want them to be, the turnovers weren’t as fast, but the strides were consistent — and I love that. Not even in practice was I getting it, but to come out here and actually execute and get the strides that I really wanted — it meant so much to me.”

After a solid first half of the race, Clayton said it was at the 200-metre mark that she truly felt herself come alive again. “When I got to 200, I was like, ‘Oh yeah girl, you’re feeling it!’ I felt myself rolling and it felt amazing because I haven’t done any of that all season.”

In April, Clayton made the difficult but mature decision to prioritize recovery over competition — a stark contrast to how she handled injury back in 2021.

“This season, I told myself I’m not going to allow what happened in 2021 to happen again,” she explained. “When I got hurt early season, I was so frustrated. I didn’t allow myself to heal back then. So this time, I took the six or so weeks I needed to, and I healed.”

That patience paid off, culminating in Saturday’s confident performance. Despite facing stiff competition from Andrenette Knight (54.52) and Shiann Salmon (54.65), who also earned qualification to the World Championships, Clayton stood tall when it mattered most.

“Honestly, the time didn’t matter to me much today at all. I wanted to finish in the top three and I wanted to feel myself again — and I think I actually felt myself rolling today. I love that.”

Now with Tokyo on the horizon, Clayton says she and her coach are quietly optimistic. “We have this little joke — Tokyo is my lucky charm,” she smiled. “I’m always looking forward to medaling. I know it’s going to take a lot, but this rough season might just be a blessing in disguise.”

With her confidence restored and her body back in sync, Rushell Clayton is once again a serious contender — not just in Jamaica, but on the world stage.