By Neto Baptiste
Pan Am Games silver medalist, Priscilla Frederick, is satisfied with her performance in the women’s high jump and said she would not change any part of her routine or preparation leading into the games being held in Lima, Peru.
Speaking to media following her 1.87 meters (6.13 feet) silver medal winning performance on Thursday evening, Frederick noted that from where she sits, she did all she could in an effort to bring home the gold.
“I feel everything I’ve done to prepare for this moment was exactly what I would have done. I believed in myself, I didn’t think about anybody else in the competition. I saw the gold medal, I visualized, spoke with my sports psychologist and I’ve been very positive and I let the negativity go so this is exactly where God wants me to be and this is where I am so you can’t go back and change things, you can only move forward,” she said.
The US-based athlete said she was even further motivated following the success of sprinter Cejhae Greene in the 100 meters finals the day before.
“I am very happy and coming into the games I was looked on [as one of the favourites] and even though I had won the silver medal before, it’s four years later so it’s a distant memory. So knowing that Cejhae had won the bronze I sort of knew that it would give me the momentum I needed and I had to just show up and compete,” Frederick said.
“Everyone had the same conditions; it was cold but I know I had the experience and I wasn’t afraid. I knew that I had to do this for the people of Antigua because this is for them especially since it may be my last Pan Am Games at my old age,” she added.
Frederick, who turned 30 in February, said her season continues next week, adding she will take time off to tie the knot.
“Right after this I go to Ireland and compete at the Cork City games on the 14th [August]. On the 15th I get married and then on the 21st I go to Dublin and compete. There are a couple of meets in the Netherlands I am trying to get into, and then I just have to hope that my ranking is high enough so I could make it to the World Championships in Doha,” she said.
On Wednesday, Greene clocked 10.23 seconds to finish third in the 100 meters finals at the Athletics Stadium in Lima, while just one week earlier boxer Alston Ryan had captured bronze in the men’s light welterweight boxing.