Andrew Hinds’ bid to break the 10-second barrier got a huge boost yesterday.
The 29-year-old Olympian, who is based in Jamaica, received much needed assistance when he was presented with a cheque by the City of Bridgetown Co-Operative Credit Union (COB) at its headquarters on Lower Broad Street.
In doing so, Hinds became the fourth athlete to be sponsored by COB, following in the footsteps of fellow Olympians Obadele Thompson and Ryan Brathwaite, as well as Sheena Gooding.
For the past six years, he has been based at the Maximizing Velocity and Power (MVP) Track and Field Club, under the watchful eye of coach Stephen Francis, who is also the coach of former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell, and current 100-metre Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price.
And with a personal best of 10.03 in the 100 metres, which he ran at the National Stadium in 2009, Hinds revealed he would be targeting a sub 10 clocking this year.
“I have a best time of 10.03 in the 100 metres, and one of my main goals this year will be to run under 10 seconds.
“When I return to Jamaica it will mostly be off-season training, before I turn my attention to some indoor competitions in late January and February,” Hinds outlined.
“It has been a really great experience training with a top coach and among some of the sport’s best athletes and I am really looking forward to 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.”
Hinds, who has won silver and bronze medals at the Central American and Caribbean Championships, also explained that it was important for him to try to stay as healthy as possible throughout the year.
In his remarks, president of the board of directors at COB, Christopher Oliver, said that it was a pleasure for the company to lend their assistance to an athlete of Hinds’ calibre.
“We are here to assist him in his training and preparation for the 2016 Olympics.
“His best times in the 100 and 200 are credible and we hope that with the assistance which we are going to give him with his preparation, that come 2016, Andrew Hinds’ name will be up there with all of those athletes which we know from the Caribbean and North America,” Oliver said.
Hinds leaves for Jamaica on Monday.
