Jamaican Hurdler Megan Tapper Reveals Drive to Defy Doubters at World Championships

Megan Tapper of Jamaica after winning a heat of the women’s 100m hurdles in a past event.

Jamaican Hurdler Megan Tapper Reveals Drive to Defy Doubters at World Championships

Festus Chuma 02:03 - 07.05.2025

Megan Tapper is determined to silence critics and make a powerful comeback at the World Championships in Tokyo.

2021 Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper has set her sights on redemption and glory as she eyes a major comeback at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

After missing out on the Jamaican team for the Paris Olympics last summer, Tapper is now more determined than ever to prove her doubters wrong and reclaim her place among the world’s elite sprint hurdlers.

The 31-year-old delivered a strong showing at the Miami leg of the Grand Slam Track (GST) series over the weekend, stepping in as a last-minute replacement for Puerto Rico’s Olympic gold medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in the 100m hurdles.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

Tapper clocked a season’s best of 12.50 seconds to finish fifth in the event on Friday — her fastest time since September 2023 and the best she has ever posted this early in a season.

“I feel great! [Clocking] 12.5 at the start of the season in May is spectacular for [me] so I’m definitely looking for more. I’m moving with audacity this year. A lot of people have been saying, ‘Megan won’t be in the mix because she hasn’t run 12.3,’ but don’t worry — it’s coming,” Tapper declared in an interview with Jamaica Observer.

Her confidence was further bolstered on Saturday when she sprinted to second place in the flat 100m in a personal best 11.33 seconds, finishing behind fellow Jamaican Ackera Nugent.

That performance capped off a remarkable weekend where Tapper placed third overall at the GST meet and walked away with a career-best payday of US$30,000 (approximately J$4.7 million).

“There’s no limit to what I can do. I’m taking off the blinders, taking off all the stuff people want to say [about] what I can achieve and just going out there, trying to do my best, and God will do the rest,” she said.

The three-time national sprint hurdles champion admitted that the road back has been anything but conventional.

After starting her hurdle training unusually late this season, she’s embracing the journey with renewed determination and faith.

“Training has been the most unusual I’ve ever done to this point of my career. If I was the type of person to really focus on the process and what I’m used to, I’d definitely be discouraged. But, as I said, I’m moving with audacity this year,” Tapper explained.

She added: “I started sprint hurdling in February. My first hurdles session — which usually starts in October — was in January, and it was just slow hurdling. So, I’m literally just getting in my groove, getting into running, feeling like myself again, and if I get 12.5 now, the sky’s the limit.”

Ranking the 7 Athletes With the Most Fans in the World
OTHER SPORTS

22:14 - 05.05.2025

Ranking the 7 Athletes With the Most Fans in the World

In 2025, the world’s most admired athletes are not only defined by their talent on the field but also by their global influence and impact as business moguls, and in this article, Pulse Sports analyses the athletes with the most fans in the world.

Tapper also praised the newly formed Grand Slam Track series and its financial incentives, calling it a game-changer for athletes like herself.

“It’s amazing, it’s exhilarating, and such an amazing opportunity for athletes. I mean, I get a little extra money in my pocket; I’m able to do and go a bit more and invest a bit more so I’m really excited about this Grand Slam,” she concluded.