By Carlena Knight
National high jumper Priscilla Frederick-Loomis is confident of her chances of qualifying for this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Frederick-Loomis said, based on her current training results, she believes her chances of qualifying are very high.
“Very, very good. If I tested and my numbers were really bad and when I say test, I mean weight room and track and if they were really bad, I’d be like man there’s no way but my numbers are 98 percent the same pre-covid. I am jumping really well, my technique is great, everything is going according to plan so for me, I’ve always been the underdog, people are always counting me out so for me this is just like another day, another season,” she shared.
Thus far, only one Antiguan and Barbudan, Cejhae Greene, has qualified for the Summer Games.
Frederick-Loomis shared that it is her goal to not only qualify, but get the best possible opportunity to give the country a medal.
“My first Olympics, I took it as ‘wow, I made it’. This could be my last one, but for this Olympics I am ready to take down whoever I need to in order to better my position from the last time and to put Antigua as close to a medal, if not a medal. It always comes down to the day. People who are jumping phenomenal right now may not be exactly where they need to be come Olympic time and so for right now my goal is to keep fighting so that I can compete in the best possible shape I ever have,” she said.
Frederick-Loomis qualified and competed at the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist also spoke on how she manages to balance her everyday life and training.
She is presently a radio show host in New Jersey and also co-owns a cleaning company with her husband. She also hosts her own podcast.
“I’m on the air from 6 am to 10, then I stay and plan the show for tomorrow till 11 am, and then I head to practice, and that’s pretty much everyday of my life. It’s routine, it’s scheduled, I really don’t go out and do things. I have always been very disciplined and the Olympics always comes first. Training and representing Antigua is always my number one priority and from about 12 to about 3:30-4 o’clock, I am training. I block out that time to make sure I am ready for Nationals,” she explained.
The 32-year-old New York native revealed that the pandemic did have a damper on her training as not a lot of jumping facilities are open. That has however been resolved and she says she is pushing forward.