Series22 Jun 2015

Personal bests – Jasmin Stowers

US sprint hurdler Jasmin Stowers (© Getty Images)

Jasmin Stowers has enjoyed a meteoric rise during the early part of the 2015 season and currently tops this year’s 100m hurdles world lists with the 12.35 she ran at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha last month.

We find out a little more about the seventh-fastest 100m hurdler in history as the American answers our personal bests questions.

My best friend in athletics

I’m new to the scene, but I guess I would say my training partner Cassandra Tate (400m hurdler and world indoor 4x400m gold medallist).

We are good friend friends and at practise we always encourage each other to do well. If either of us have an issue with the start, or an issue between the hurdles, we always help each other out.

My greatest rival

Sharika Nelvis (the winner of the 100m hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League meetings in Rome and New York this summer). I say that because in college we were very close competitors and now as pros we are still close competitors.

She won the 2014 NCAA indoor 60m hurdles from lane one when she wasn’t expected to win and I knew from that point on she had the potential to be able to compete outdoors.

My best achievement in athletics

I would have to say my performance at the Drake Relays earlier this year. That was the moment when I knew I could and live with the very best and it was the biggest ever drop in my PR (from 12.71 to 12.40). I was surprised, but I felt like that was a turning point.

My best race

I’ll say the Diamond League in Doha this summer, when I ran a PR of 12.35. I was running alongside the Olympic champion Sally Pearson, which was a great honour, and to beat her and a top-class field was a very proud achievement.

My best achievement outside of athletics

I think graduating with a degree in nutrition and food sciences while studying at Louisiana State University was possibly my greatest achievement. Many people told me it was a really hard degree, so to pass with honours made me very proud.

The best piece of coaching advice

Dennis Shaver (Jasmin’s coach) often says “never worry about the things you can’t control.” I think that is a great piece of advice. So instead of focusing on things like the weather, I focus on factors I can control, which has really helped me.

The best athlete I have ever seen

Allyson Felix, because she has accomplished many great things throughout her career from high school to her professional career.

Her consistency has been so impressive and she has proved for many years she has been one of the best athletes out there. I remember watching her come fresh out of high school and beat all the pros. She always looks so easy when she is sprinting incredible times.

My greatest disappointment

I would say the hamstring injury I suffered in 2013. It just did not allow me to perform as I wanted. It was a big disappointment for me.

The best athletics venue

I think the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. It is a really nice stadium with a great atmosphere. The crowd had bells that they were ringing and they were waving flags.

You could tell track meant a lot to them. It meant a lot to me that they really appreciated my running and I would like to visit there again.