Jamaica’s Damar Forbes in Worlds long-jump Wednesday
MOSCOW, Russia — Damar Forbes will feel the red hot glare of the Jamaican track and field fandom on Wednesday, Day 5 of the 14th IAAF World Championships when he takes part in the qualifications of the men’s long jump starting at 10:25am (1:25am Jamaica time) at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow Russia.
Forbes will be the lone Jamaican performing on the day that will have only a morning session, but it is unlikely the confident jumper will wilt under the pressure or allow it to affect him in any way.
The recent Louisiana State University (LSU) graduate who won his first professional event at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in France two weeks after winning his second Jamaican Senior title at the JAAA National Championships says he is not bothered by pressure.
“I am ready…not feeling too much pressure, if there is any it is what I put on myself, I just came here to have some fun and compete,” he told the Jamaica Observer as he completed a light workout at the warm up track adjoining the main stadium late last week.
The St Ann-born man who moved to the US with his family at a young age has set his sights on James Beckford’s 8.62m National Record set in 1997.
Forbes says that despite not been able to compete at the London Anniversary Games that was to have been his final tune up, due to visa problems, he is not overawed by what he is seeing in the competition.
Forbes will be seeking Jamaica’s second men’s long jump medal after Beckford’s silver in Sweden in 1995.