Quick Chat: Jehlani Gordon
February 12, 2024 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Like every young boy growing up in Jamaica, Jehlani Gordon idolized Usain Bolt, and dreamed of following in the legendary sprinter's enormous footsteps. Gordon may not ever become the fastest human ever — as bars go, that one's pretty darn high — but the Georgia freshman sprinter is off to a great start with the Bulldogs.
In collegiate track and field, there are indoor and outdoor seasons. For much of the country, given the harshness of winter in a lot of places, this makes total sense. But growing up in Yallahs, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Gordon never experienced an indoor season. The first indoor meet he ever competed in was the Clemson Invitational on Jan. 12, his first meet as a Bulldog.
So how did Gordon handle the indoor track and the 60-meter distance? He won the race in 6.60 seconds, setting the third-fastest time in program history.
During a recent Quick Chat, Gordon talked about his pre-race music habits, the importance of Bolt in Jamaica, racing indoors, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: When you're listening to music before a race, are you listening to something that will get you fired up or something that will hopefully calm you down a little?
Gordon: It's a mixture of both. Sometimes it's gospel, sometimes it's country music, sometimes it's dance hall music from Jamaica or reggae, and you have hip-hop music sometimes. It's never like I'm listening to one genre; it's always a mix.
Frierson: Running the 60 meters, is it all about getting out of the starting blocks as fast as possible?
Gordon: The thing with the 60, for me, personally, I'm not really a fan of it. Since I got here, this was the first time for me running a 60-meter (dash). Furthermore, it's the first time I've done a meet indoors, because we don't have that in Jamaica. We don't have an indoor season.
Now that I'm getting used to it, it's coming along. I'm running good times, so there's nothing really to complain about. The ideal thing with running the 60 is getting out (of the blocks) strong and continuing to be aggressive until you reach the finishing line. I think having a great start also helps with it, but sometimes the start doesn't come so you have to continue and make up time during the race.
Frierson: What is the one event in all of track and field that you're very thankful you never have to do?
Gordon: Definitely the 800. The 800 is rough. Running a 400 first lap at like a 49- or 48(-second) pace, and then having to do it again, that's absolutely crazy. And the training that they have to do to get through it is also insane.
The 100 and the 200 training is quite difficult, it takes a toll on your body, but the 800 itself is in a totally different bracket.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Gordon: It would have to be a Jamaican cheese patty. It's like this mixture of cheese and beef wrapped in this mixture of flour and yeast, so it's something like an empanada. It's the same texture and everything, but it's more tasty than an empanada, I would say.
Frierson: I saw where you played soccer and hockey growing up. I'm assuming that was field hockey.
Gordon: Yeah, it was field hockey. I did field hockey for four or five years, but I decided to focus on what's more beneficial for me, which was track. I still enjoy playing field hockey sometimes. It's very good.
Frierson: What was your first Georgia football game like?
Gordon: I don't remember which one it was, but from the tailgating to the noise and everyone walking into the stadium, it was surreal. I've never seen anything like it.
In Jamaica we have something like that, for national championships for high school athletes, but to see that big of a stadium packed ... it's crazy.
Frierson: Can you describe just how big of a star Usain Bolt is in Jamaica? And I don't know if he's as big now as he was when he retired from sprinting?
Gordon: He's definitely as big and some would say bigger. There's not one person in Jamaica who doesn't know who Usain Bolt is. That's the crazy thing about him. You could ask a baby that was just born and they'll tell you he's the fastest man to ever live.
The impact that he's had on the sport and the country, that will never be replicated. He's a once-in-a-lifetime person. For him to have done that in my lifetime, growing up as a small kid and watching him, that was great.
Frierson: Is he in some ways responsible for inspiring you to get to where you are now?
Gordon: Yeah, definitely. There's no athlete, not just track and field but even swimming or tennis, in Jamaica that isn't inspired by what he's done.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Like every young boy growing up in Jamaica, Jehlani Gordon idolized Usain Bolt, and dreamed of following in the legendary sprinter's enormous footsteps. Gordon may not ever become the fastest human ever — as bars go, that one's pretty darn high — but the Georgia freshman sprinter is off to a great start with the Bulldogs.
In collegiate track and field, there are indoor and outdoor seasons. For much of the country, given the harshness of winter in a lot of places, this makes total sense. But growing up in Yallahs, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Gordon never experienced an indoor season. The first indoor meet he ever competed in was the Clemson Invitational on Jan. 12, his first meet as a Bulldog.
So how did Gordon handle the indoor track and the 60-meter distance? He won the race in 6.60 seconds, setting the third-fastest time in program history.
During a recent Quick Chat, Gordon talked about his pre-race music habits, the importance of Bolt in Jamaica, racing indoors, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: When you're listening to music before a race, are you listening to something that will get you fired up or something that will hopefully calm you down a little?
Gordon: It's a mixture of both. Sometimes it's gospel, sometimes it's country music, sometimes it's dance hall music from Jamaica or reggae, and you have hip-hop music sometimes. It's never like I'm listening to one genre; it's always a mix.
Frierson: Running the 60 meters, is it all about getting out of the starting blocks as fast as possible?
Gordon: The thing with the 60, for me, personally, I'm not really a fan of it. Since I got here, this was the first time for me running a 60-meter (dash). Furthermore, it's the first time I've done a meet indoors, because we don't have that in Jamaica. We don't have an indoor season.
Now that I'm getting used to it, it's coming along. I'm running good times, so there's nothing really to complain about. The ideal thing with running the 60 is getting out (of the blocks) strong and continuing to be aggressive until you reach the finishing line. I think having a great start also helps with it, but sometimes the start doesn't come so you have to continue and make up time during the race.
Frierson: What is the one event in all of track and field that you're very thankful you never have to do?
Gordon: Definitely the 800. The 800 is rough. Running a 400 first lap at like a 49- or 48(-second) pace, and then having to do it again, that's absolutely crazy. And the training that they have to do to get through it is also insane.
The 100 and the 200 training is quite difficult, it takes a toll on your body, but the 800 itself is in a totally different bracket.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Gordon: It would have to be a Jamaican cheese patty. It's like this mixture of cheese and beef wrapped in this mixture of flour and yeast, so it's something like an empanada. It's the same texture and everything, but it's more tasty than an empanada, I would say.
Frierson: I saw where you played soccer and hockey growing up. I'm assuming that was field hockey.
Gordon: Yeah, it was field hockey. I did field hockey for four or five years, but I decided to focus on what's more beneficial for me, which was track. I still enjoy playing field hockey sometimes. It's very good.
Frierson: What was your first Georgia football game like?
Gordon: I don't remember which one it was, but from the tailgating to the noise and everyone walking into the stadium, it was surreal. I've never seen anything like it.
In Jamaica we have something like that, for national championships for high school athletes, but to see that big of a stadium packed ... it's crazy.
Frierson: Can you describe just how big of a star Usain Bolt is in Jamaica? And I don't know if he's as big now as he was when he retired from sprinting?
Gordon: He's definitely as big and some would say bigger. There's not one person in Jamaica who doesn't know who Usain Bolt is. That's the crazy thing about him. You could ask a baby that was just born and they'll tell you he's the fastest man to ever live.
The impact that he's had on the sport and the country, that will never be replicated. He's a once-in-a-lifetime person. For him to have done that in my lifetime, growing up as a small kid and watching him, that was great.
Frierson: Is he in some ways responsible for inspiring you to get to where you are now?
Gordon: Yeah, definitely. There's no athlete, not just track and field but even swimming or tennis, in Jamaica that isn't inspired by what he's done.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & FieldGeorgia Track & Field Outdoor National Championships Video Recap
Monday, June 16
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor NCAAs Day 2 Recap
Friday, June 13
Georgia Track & Field Feature: Throwers Profile
Monday, June 09
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor SEC Championships Day 3 Video Recap
Monday, May 19
