Kyron McMaster, right, and coach Dag Samuels pose for a picture during a welcome home ceremony at the Central Administration Building on Monday. Photo: CHRISTINA KISSOON

On Saturday, Kyron McMaster ran 47.80 seconds in the 400-metre hurdles at the Jamaica International Invitational track meet to become the world’s fastest runner in the event this season.

Kyron McMaster, right, and coach Dag Samuels pose for a picture during a welcome home ceremony at the Central Administration Building on Monday. Photo: CHRISTINA KISSOON
The 20-year-old’s rivals included two-time World Athletics Champion Bershawn ‘Batnan’ Jackson, of the United States, former Olympic Games medalists Michael Tinsley, of the US, and Javier Culson, of Puerto Rico, along with Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde,who won the event during the last two IAAF World Junior (under-20) Championships.

Mr. McMaster now ranks 28th on the World All-Time list in the 400-metre hurdles.

“Everyone asked me from the time I won the race, why was I so confident going into the race,” he said. “[It was] mainly because I trust the training [and] I trust my coach in what we do on and off the track.”

The Virgin Islands athlete now holds the second fastest time in the region by a 20-year-old athlete, behind Trinidad-born, American runner Kerron Clement, who ran 47.24 seconds in the event.

Mr. Clement, winner of two World Championships, an Olympic title and a world record in the 400 metres, never ran as fast as he did in his 20th year in (2005).

Sub-48 second times in the 400-metre hurdles are rare. In 2014, no other runner in the world achieved the feat. There were three in 2013, one in 2015 and four in 2016. Of those athletes, five have run faster than Mr. McMaster.

“I trusted the process of me training six days a week and 12 hours a day,” the runner said. “Believe it or not, coach said I’m going to run 47.08 seconds. Coach said the slowest I’ll run is 48.03 seconds. At that point, my personal best before that was 48.06 and I said coach you’re a crazy man, you chopped off a whole second.”

Mr. Samuels then turned to Mr. McMaster and said,  “Boss, you are going to do it.”

“After I finished the race, the commentator said 47.07 and they robbed me of a point second, which I would’ve gotten the new record but they changed it and [coach] was over there smiling as the happiest man.”

After realising what he had just accomplished Mr. McMaster celebrated by giving his coach a hug.

“I love him and I thank him for all his accomplishments that we’ve done and this is just the beginning of something we’re doing. We have much bigger plans ahead of us,” Mr. McMaster said.

Former BVI Olympic Committee President Rey O’Neal and Christina Kissoon contributed to this report.