Hudson-Smith wants revenge in 400m

When British quarter-mile runner Matthew Hudson-Smith lines up in the men’s 400 metres race today at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational (JAI), he will be aiming to cross the finish line ahead of reigning 400m world champion Antonio Watson.

In a press conference on Thursday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Hudson-Smith explained one of his aims for the JAI is to get his revenge against Watson following their last clash at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Watson powered past a fading Hudson-Smith down the homestretch of the 400m final to claim gold in 44.22 seconds and became the first Jamaican in 40 years to win the event since Bertland Cameron’s triumph at the 1983 Helsinki World Championships.

Hudson-Smith had to settle for silver in 44.31 while American Quincy Hall took bronze in 44.37.

“When my agent told me about this meet, I said ‘Yeah, book it’,” he explained. “I was very excited because I get my rematch so that’s something I’m very much looking forward to. To talk about Budapest as well, you saw the race, I thought I had it and then my calf went at the 120m mark, so I was just really scrapping for the line.

“I was just happy with the medal and the whole focus of this year is to stay healthy, but at the end of the day, I want my get back for sure, that’s why I came here.”

Hudson-Smith is confident of his chances of upsetting the world champion as he said he feels in much better form than last year.

The British athlete had been struggling with Achilles tendonitis throughout much of last season which hampered his races during the World Championships.

Now injury-free, Hudson-Smith expects to return to his very best.

“It’s one of those injuries that come and go as you saw last year,” he said. “In the semifinals, it kinda went and that’s why I walked off the track because I had to get treatment straightaway. Everyone thought it was some sort of mind games but my calf was killing me.

“I am definitely a lot more healthier because the amount of hours that I’ve done in gym means that the plan is just to be healthy. The proof is in the pudding as my first race in the 200m, I ran 20.3 and definitely have plans to lower that 200m time and my 400m time. As long as I’m healthy, then everything is possible,” Hudson-Smith said.

The JAI meet is set to start at 7 p.m. at the National Stadium with the men’s 400m down for a 7:55 p.m. start.