Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion Melaine Walker.

WHEN Melaine Walker clocked 52.64 seconds last year for an Olympic record and a personal best to win the 400 metres hurdles gold at the Beijing Olympic Games, it was not a surprise to those who had been closely following the progress of the former St Jago High athlete. She went into the Olympics with a very good 2008 record, having beaten all her closest rivals and the gold looked to be hers to lose going into the Games.

This year Walker, along with Kaliese Spencer and Nickeisha Wilson, will be carrying Jamaica's medal hopes at the Berlin World Championship.

Despite a slow build-up due to an injury, Walker is rounding into good form as at her last meet, the Paris Golden League she clocked a season best 54.47 seconds to be at number five on the world list.

Future hopes

Walker and her teammates will be hoping to join former Olympic champion Deon Hemmings as medallists at these Championships, as Hemmings got bronze in the 1995 Championships and silver twice at the 1997 and 1999 Championships. Two years ago both Walker and Spencer dropped out at the semi-final stage while Wilson just missed a medal as she finished fourth in the final in 54.10 seconds.

Walker, who only had one defeat all of last season, will be hoping to regain her 2008 excellent form with three weeks to go as the likes of the United States' Lashinda Demus and Australia's Jana Rawlinson who missed the entire season last year due to injury are back.

Demus, the 2005 silver medallist, is the top-ranked intermediate hurdler this year with 53.78 seconds while Rawlinson will be hoping to successfully defend her 2007 title. Adddding to the mix is Osaka bronze medallist, Ana Jesien of Poland. She has beaten Walker twice this season and her season best is 54.31 seconds. In two meets so far the Australian has not looked the athlete she was two years ago and should not be a factor.

Biggest challenge

While the likes of Trinidad and Tobago's Josanne Lucas (54.17) and American Sheena Tosta (54.19) are ranked ahead of Walker at the moment, they are not expected to stand in the Jamaican's way in Berlin. Her biggest challenge will come from Demus who is the only athlete to have gone sub 54 seconds this season.

In her career so far, Walker is yet to defeat Rawlinson and Demus but this could change significantly in Berlin as both athletes have personal best times not far off from Walker's 52.64. Rawlinson with a career best of 53.51 seconds and Demus with her 53.27 seconds will go into the Championships knowing that Walker has been in the sub 53 seconds zone. The two challengers may have to join the sub-53 seconds club to beat Walker in Berlin.