Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

By: Kwame Laurence

If you love what you do and you're still good at it, why stop?"

At age 33, Felix Sanchez is in no hurry to hang up his spikes.

The Dominican Republic athlete is the 2004 Olympic 400 metres hurdles gold medallist. He is also a double world champion in the event, winning in 2001 and successfully defending the title two years later. But Sanchez still has gas in his tank, earning silver last weekend at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Track and Field Championships, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

At the CAC meet, Sanchez got home in 49.41 seconds, forcing Trinidad and Tobago's Jehue Gordon to settle for bronze in 50.10.

Nineteen-year-old Gordon will seek revenge at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, in Port of Spain, today. Sanchez and Gordon will square off in the Hampton International Games men's open and invitational 400m hurdles.

"I want a good race," Sanchez told the Sunday Express, following a training session on Friday on the brand new Crawford Stadium track. "I want to get out there and compete well against Jehue, in front of the crowd. And I want us to both break 49 seconds. We're both right there, and it will be a good time this early in the season, getting ready for the World Champs."

Gordon's best clocking in 2011 is 49.09 seconds, while Sanchez's best run is last weekend's 49.41.

Hampton International Games president Noel Hyland had said Gordon and Sanchez would clash yesterday. However, on Friday, he told the Sunday Express the decision had been changed, and the two world class hurdlers would instead do battle today.

Sanchez is looking forward to competing on the new track.

"I ran on it today (Friday). It reminds me of the track they laid down in the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo. It's a nice soft track, has a good bounce to it. Over time it will continue to get harder and faster. It will be interesting to see how you guys take care of it, but it should be a track that will last a long time."

Gordon, the reigning world junior champion, should also be around for many years to come.

"Jehue is a bright young talent," Sanchez declared. "He has a bright future, not only for Trinidad but for the Caribbean as well–a great representative. He's a young boy, tall, strong, fast, he has a good technique. He's still young, he's still learning. Once he learns how to get the stride pattern and be consistent, once he gets his rhythm and he figures out the race, he's going to be very dangerous."

Sanchez is the eighth fastest one-lap hurdler in history, at 47.25, a clocking he produced way back in 2003. And though he has not dived under 48 seconds since his 47.63 golden run at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the Dominican remains a dangerous competitor.

"I love the sport. I love coming out and competing against the guys and proving that I can still do it. It's a constant challenge every year. The training is difficult, and the guys are getting younger and younger and faster and faster. But as long as I'm competitive and I'm enjoying what I do, I'll continue to do it.

"Hopefully, I can make it to another Olympics. It would be my fourth Olympics in London."

Sanchez said he always looks forward to competing in the Caribbean.

"It's my first time here. It reminds me a lot of other Caribbean islands. It reminds me of home. It's always good to come to the Caribbean. A lot of the competitions are in Europe, and it's such a cold atmosphere. Here, you get the warm climate, the warm people, the laid back flow, the food, the music. There's nothing like the Caribbean."