Jaheel Hyde withdraws from the Pan-American Junior Championships due to fatigue after an "unusually lengthy" 2014 season.
Jaheel Hyde announced on Tuesday that he has withdrawn from the Pan-American Junior Championships due to fatigue.
The 18-year-old Jamaican Junior National Record Holder for 400m hurdles (49.01) owns four of the top five junior times in the world this year in his signature event. His Under-19 Jamaican record of 49.01 ranks No. 14 in world this year, including senior athletes.
He was the prohibitive favorite to win gold in Edmonton, Canada at the end of this month. However, fatigue and soreness from an "unusually lengthy" 2014 season, as reported by The Jamaican Observer, already resulted in withdrawal from the Jamaican National Senior Championships.
Hyde's initial plans for 2015 included racing at the IAAF World Championships as part of the Jamaican senior national team. While he was certainly not a lock to make the team, he is ranked No. 3 in Jamaica this year behind only Annsert Whyte (48.9 SB) and Roxroy Cato (48.97 SB).
The loss of Hyde to the Pan-Am field leaves the top seed to American Kenny Selmon, a freshman at the University of North Carolina. Selmon ranks No. 2 in the World for Juniors this year with his best of 49.6. Marvin Williams of Jamaica is the only other Junior to race under 50 seconds this year.
Americans Rai Benjamin and Taylor McLaughlin are ranked No. 4 and No. 6 in the World for Juniors, though neither will race in Canada. Rising senior Norman Grimes from Canyon, Texas will compete; he is ranked No. 7 in the World with his 50.59 PB.
Hyde, who is sponsored by Jamaican telecommunications firm LIME, gained international acclaim in 2013, when he won the IAAF World Youth Championships 110m hurdles. Last summer, he ran a World Youth Best of 12.96 in the 110m hurdles to win the World Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China as well as the 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore.