Twenty-one year old Dennick Luke from the town of Portsmouth now holds the Dominica’s men 800m national record with a time of 1:48:22. The record was broken at the JAAA All-Comers Meet, National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica on June 11th 2022. Notably, the previous record was held by Erison Hurtault for eleven years, since 2011, with a time of 1:48:60.
Upon interview with Emonews, Luke expressed, “This record had been my goal for some time and I worked my way there. It means a lot to me and it feels good to be in the books.” Moreover, he highlighted that getting to where he is now has not been an easy road. “Nothing good in life comes easy. I came from far and the journey was a tough one but I simply had to put in the work,” he added.
Furthermore, Luke pointed out that the challenges he faced have changed from time to time. “Two of my main challenges have been time management and staying healthy as possible,” he voiced. Nonetheless, he is committed to building a healthy body and mind so that he may be able to compete at the regional and international levels.
In light of his recent success, he took the opportunity to express sincere thanks to his coach for his time and dedication towards making him a great athlete. “My coach is a genius. He taught me a lot and he can get so much done in little time,” he said.
In addition, he expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the government of Dominica, Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC) and the Dominica Amateur Athletics Association (DAAA) for the major role that they have played towards his success. “Thank you for everything. The support is greatly appreciated,” he thanked. “To all the local athletes, I encourage you to believe in yourselves, work hard and have fun in the process,” he concluded.
As Luke continues to make his country proud, Emonews extends a warm congratulations and wishes him future success.
