FAYETTEVILLE -- Omar McLeod will wear the green and gold colors of his native Jamaica in the 110-meter hurdles at the Olympics, but the former Razorbacks NCAA champion said he'll be representing Arkansas, too.

"This place got me to where I'm at now," said McLeod, who has continued to live and train in Fayetteville since turning pro after his sophomore year at Arkansas in 2015. "I'm still competing for the Razorbacks, too, along with my country and my family.

"Arkansas, this program, is a part of me. I came here and fell in love with this place."

McLeod said he has a strong connection to Arkansas' coaches, athletes and fans. He said he also carries the Olympic hopes for track-crazy Jamaica.

[ARKANSANS IN RIO: Full coverage of 23 in Olympics]

"I want to honor everyone who has made sacrifices for me and supported me and believed in me wholeheartedly," he said. "When you do that, you have a lot more drive to go out there and get it done."

McLeod, 22, is the favorite to win the Olympic gold medal. He ran the fastest 110 hurdles time in the world this year (12.98 seconds) in Shanghai on May 14, and he won the 60 hurdles (7.41) at the World Indoor Championships on March 20 in Portland, Ore. He ran a personal-best 12.97 in the 110 hurdles last year.

"If Omar he can stay healthy and do his thing, I don't think anybody can beat him in Rio," Arkansas Coach Chris Bucknam said. "I think he's that good, and he's prepared himself so well.

"He has great humility when he comes to the track every day in regards to his training. He's willing to do the work. I've seen him suffer out there on the track. He's embraced that process."

Razorbacks assistant Doug Case, who coaches the sprinters, has worked with McLeod since he turned pro.

"Coach Case has pushed me to do things that I couldn't have imagined doing when I was younger," McLeod said. "When you have a coach you trust and knows your body better than anybody else, and knows your capabilities and is willing to go there with you, that's crucial.

"I can go to practice and he'll look at me and say, 'OK, you're having an off day.' He can just tell, and then will switch my workout based on how I'm feeling. A lot of coaches can't do that, but we have a special athlete-and-coach relationship to the core."

McLeod said he never has considered moving from Arkansas to train elsewhere.

"Especially in an Olympic year, I didn't want to change what's working for me," he said. "Why fix what's not broken?"

McLeod ran 9.99 in the 100 April 23 at a meet in Fayetteville, becoming the first athlete to go under 10 seconds in the 100 and under 13 seconds in the 110 hurdles.

"When you're as fast and as strong as Omar, who knows what he can do?" Case said. "He's such a physical specimen."

Case said McLeod's strength keeps him from being knocked off-stride if he hits a hurdle.

"It doesn't affect him that much because he's so powerful," Case said. "He maintains his position, and he's able to land and recover and still have a good next hurdle."

Winning at the World Championships capped McLeod's first indoor season as a professional. He had never run indoors until he came to Arkansas as a freshman in the fall of 2013.

"Trust me, being crowned a world champion, it's a huge deal," McLeod said. "I don't care what event it is or where you did it -- underground or above earth or in the sky -- you're a world champion.

"It was just a huge honor for me."

Winning at the Olympics, McLeod said, would be even bigger.

"The Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world," he said. "Everybody in track and field aspires to make it there, and I'm no different."

McLeod earned a spot on the Olympic team when he won July 2 at the Jamaican National Championships in 13.10.

"It was a relief," he said. "It was a matter of me executing and getting it out of the way."

McLeod won three individual NCAA titles in two years at Arkansas -- twice in the 60 hurdles and once in the 110 hurdles -- and ran on the Razorbacks' national title 400 relay team.

"Omar's always been a great big meet guy," Case said.

McLeod will run in the first round of the 110 hurdles at the Olympics on Aug. 15 in Rio de Janeiro. The final is Aug. 16.

"I'm really confident," McLeod said. "I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm healthy and ready to go."

Case said he never has any concerns about McLeod's preparations.

"Omar's always so fit," Case said. "He does things off the track that are important with his eating and sleeping habits.

"Of course, he practices immaculately. He asks the right questions and studies his video. We look at his video together and go through, 'This is good, this is bad,' and he fixes it.

"He adjusts to things. That's not easy when you're running that fast. You have to make it a thorough process, and then eventually it's just something you do."

McLeod said he's not stressed about being the Olympic favorite.

"I really feel no pressure, honestly," he said. "I'm young, and this is my first year being a full-time professional athlete. This is my first Olympics.

"It's all about me focusing on what I need to do and thinking positive, following my coach's instructions and running my race.

"Hopefully, doing that will help me land the gold medal."

Case's instructions before a race are simple.

"I always say, 'Go be Omar,' " Case said. "Do that and he'll have a great outcome."

Sports on 08/03/2016