Sprinter Hank Palmer grabs honors at McGill University

Twenty-two year old LaSalle sprinter Hank Palmer began this year exceptionally well. After winning the gold in the 60 meter run in 6.67 seconds in Dartmouth, New Hampshire and improving his personal score by 11/100 seconds, Palmer overtook Nicolas Macrozonaris for the first time in the 60-meter run during the 13th annual meet of McGill University, landing with a score of 6.68 seconds.

Palmer and Macrozonaris performed like dueling titans throughout the competition. Palmer overtook his rival by a slim margin after the “photo shots” were clarified, confirming his victory. The McGill Team Challenge, the most important university athletic event in Canada, brings together some 600 athletes from 17 participating universities.

Palmer believes that he’s ready to join the world elite competition. “I’d like to do the 200, 100, 4 X 100, 60 and the 50 meters. I want to be good in all of them. The Olympic Games will be held this year in Peking and I’d like to be number one. It’s my whole life. I’ve been doing this for the last 15 years.”

After winning 4th place in the 200-meter run during the junior world championships in 2004, he was injured, preventing him from making any progress as a sprinter. “The tradition from the juniors to the seniors wasn’t easy. I was a bit intimidated by being in the higher level where the athletes have more experience than me”.

A native of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Palmer is working hard to carve himself a position among the world’s best 16 sprinters with a view to taking part in the Olympic Games which will be held in China in August 2008.