By RENALDO DORSETT
FOR the third time in his career, Jeffery Gibson has lowered his own mark to set a new national record in the 400 metre hurdles.
Gibson ran to a first place finish in a record-setting 48.77 seconds at Tuesday’s
Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern track and field meet in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The time now places him at No. 10 on the IAAF top list for the event this season.
Annsert Whyte of Jamaica was second in 48.95 and Jeshua Anderson of the United States was third in 49.08.
Gibson first claimed the national record in 2013 when he ran 49.39 in Eugene, Oregon, while he was a student at Oral Roberts University.
He then lowered the mark to 48.95 at the Florida Relays in April 2014 and again in a bronze medal winning performance in 48.78 at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
It continues the impressive season for the 24-year-old hurdler.
Some of his other notable performances this season include 48.97 at the New York Diamond League meet, 49.19 at the Ponce Grand Prix IAAF World Challenge 2015 in May, 49.42 at the Jamaica Invitational, 49.48 at the Doha Diamond League meet and 49.83 at the BAAA National Championships.
Gibson is hoping that it will carry over when he goes to the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, where he intends to get back on the podium in an effort to fulfil his plans both internationally and locally.
“My focus this year is to make the final and the podium stand at the World Championships,” he said in a previous interview with Tribune Sports following the New York Grand Prix.
“At my last world champs, I was only able to make it to the semi-finals. With me being more experienced in my hurdles, I plan to go a lot further.
“I’m also focused on promoting myself throughout the Bahamas and getting endorsed and sponsored by local companies,” said Gibson.