On Monday, Aug. 29, in Daegu, South Korea, Carmelita “the Jet” Jeter surged to the 100 meter title in 10.90 seconds at the World Athletics Championships. Following her dominant win, she turned her sights toward the 2012 London Olympics.
In 2009, Jeter ran the 100m in 10.64 seconds, the second fastest women’s time ever. Now at age 31, she is the oldest 100m women’s world champion. Jeter has run under 10.80 seconds three times, putting her in the all-time elite class.
Although she ran the 100 meters faster than any woman except the late Florence Griffith Joyner, Jeter has yet to compete in the Olympic Games. After winning the bronze medal at Worlds in 2008, she failed to make the finals at the U.S. Olympic trials. Jeter says, “It was hurtful … It definitely made me sit down and figure some things out.” She then switched to her current coach John Smith. They train every day at West Los Angeles Community College.
Jeter says Smith’s words to her before this year’s World Championship 100 meter sprint drove her to the finish. “He said I’ve worked too hard to throw it away … I’m a warrior and I’ve got to get out there and fight for it, because ain’t nobody gonna give it to me.”
With her win, Jeter immediately shifted her focus to next summer’s Olympics. She says, “I have to win medals.”
Tap into her mindset with the following video, where she recalls her world record 100 meter race and explains how she reaches her pre-race “scary mode.”

Source:  USA Today
Photo:  ibnlive.in.com