Leighton Levy, Freelance Writer

Michael Frater ... faces a tough 100m field at the national trials later this month. - File

HOPING TO recapture the form that won him a silver medal in the 100-metre dash at the World Athletic Championships in Helsinki in 2005, Michael Frater is approaching the upcoming Olympic trials with a sense of optimism.

Hampered by injury in the intervening years, Frater is just happy to be able to compete injury free.

"I am going into the trials in the best shape I've been in since 2005. I've been in training for about a good month now, so I just have to appreciate that and I am in good shape," Frater says.

The diminutive sprinter began his season finishing third in a 100m in Qatar in 10.08 seconds, his best opening ever and just 0.05 seconds outside his personal best, but things went downhill after that. "My first race of the year I was in excellent condition, but I had a few injuries after that," he said.

The injuries have been a constant in his life over the past three years, with everything coming to a head in 2007 when he missed almost the entire season.

He admits that the constant injuries have been difficult to deal with but has been taking it in stride.

Very frustrating

"It's been very, very frustrating but it's the sport," he said. "You have people who have run fast one day and you never hear about them again, so it's been perseverance that has helped me to carry on.

"I know it's there, it's just a matter of getting healthy and maybe if training wasn't going this well, I would be more frustrated, but training has been going well so I just hope I can stay healthy."

He hopes that being healthy once more finally means dipping under the 10-second barrier - something he had vowed to do three years ago.

"With me, it's just about going out there and doing what I have done in practice and I will be faster than that," he said. "I am in good enough condition to run very fast."

But the 2003 Pan American Games champion is cognisant of the depth of talent that he is up against this year - even if he is at his best. Local track-and-field analysts agree that the most talented set of sprinters in Jamaican history will assemble for the national trials.

Difficult hurdle

There are the two fastest men that have ever lived - Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt - and then there is a relatively large number of sprinters seeking spots on the team to the Olympics, among them, his training partner Nesta Carter; Steve Mullings, Dwight Thomas, Marvin Anderson, Clement Campbell and several others. Just making the team is going to be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Frater, however, is not daunted.

"The challenges are going to be difficult," he said. "You have the two men who have run the two fastest times ever, so I know it's not going to be easy, but I am not going to look at what they're doing. As long as I go out there and do what I am supposed to do ... once I do my best, then I should expect great things for myself."

He is also excited about the talent that is going to be on show this year.

"There is going to be something special happening at the trials this year. I don't think I have ever been to trials where there has been this much buzz about what is going to happen. I expect great things to happen," he said.

He may well have been speaking about himself.