By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Dwight Thomas - reuters

In a move to try to break the 10-second barrier, former national 100m champion Dwight Thomas has decided to clear a few hurdles on his way.

Come next season, Thomas, who has a personal best of 10.0 seconds in the 100m, will resume his sprint hurdling career.

"Next year I am going to run the 100m and 110m hurdles," Thomas, who has not run the hurdles since 2004, told Star Sports earlier this week.

"The hurdle is going to help to give me more flexibility for the 100m and it will help me from getting injured," he added.

Thomas, the 1998 World Junior 100m bronze medallist, said going into the 2007 season his "aim is to break 10 seconds in the 100m and 13 seconds in the 110m hurdles and win a medal at the World Championships".

Thomas' personal best in the 110m hurdles is 13.34 seconds, 0.17 seconds slower than Maurice Wignall's national record of 13.17

"I am ready, because the 110m hurdles is like my bread and butter - it is easy for me, I have been doing it since Calabar," he said, alluding to his Class One record of 13.79 while at Calabar High.

He said the decision to resume his hurdling career was influenced by his mother and people who are close to him, and after looking seriously into their plea, he decided to give it a try.

"I really wanted to run the 200m but decided to give it up for the 110 hurdles," he pointed out.

Thomas further explained that he received some motivation to choose the sprint obstacle over the half lap event by another athlete.

"I got this inspiration from American Gail Devers who did both the 100m and 100m hurdles and she was successful at both," explained Thomas, the second fastest Jamaican over the obstacle event in 2004.

Thomas is currently in negotiations with a new coach after he was forced to leave Jamaican-born coach Trevor Graham.

Graham is under investigation for doping violations and has been barred from United States Olympic Committee training sites as at least six of the athletes he has coached have returned positive drug tests.