By Ileann Powery

Copyright caymancompass

Caymanian sprinter Davontè Howell concluded his impressive season on 13 Sept. at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Competing in the 100-metre sprint, Howell ran a time of 10.33 seconds in heat six of seven, missing out on advancing to the next round.

Despite the disappointing outcome, the 19-year-old athlete gained a valuable lesson.

Howell said the championships were “a great experience”, adding that the preparation leading up to the event “was amazing as well”.

“I honestly was prepared to go out there and shock the world – do something special for both me and the [country],” he added.

Last month at the Junior Pan American Games, Howell broke the Games record twice in the 100m, earning Cayman its first-ever gold medal in the event.

Reflecting on his very busy season leading up to the World Championships, he said, “In the warmup just before the race, the long season finally caught up with me and I have nobody to blame but myself. I know now what it takes to compete for that long and know that I need to take more care of my body.

“To be more specific, my hamstring became really sore and aggravated in the warmup, causing me not to be able to accelerate how I wanted to,” he said.

When asked to elaborate on how to better look after himself, Howell said he should have gotten more rest, done more of the necessary recovery exercises and “most of all, not overtrain”.

“I kept pushing myself, thinking it would’ve had me more prepared, instead of just recovering,” he admitted.

Comparing his results this season with the professional athletes he competed against, he said, “Honestly, nothing else was learned other than me needing to take more care of my body with my season being longer than the pros. At the end of the day, the times I ran this season shows I can compete with those guys.”

He added, “Nevertheless, it was a great season, and I thank God for allowing me to take my talents this far and [I’m] excited for where He will take me,” he said.