Jumps could rival track events at National Champs
TEENAGED world leader Jaydon Hibbert and two-time World Athletics Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts will defend their respective men’s and women’s triple jump titles at this weekend’s Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s National Championships, during which the excitement in the jumps could rival the sprints.
The jumps representatives are expected to make up a significant portion of the Jamaican team to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August. It is expected the number will be greater than the nine last year in Eugene, Oregon, where six women and three men were named.
Hibbert won last year’s men’s senior title on his way to an incredible run that has seen him being unbeaten while winning the World Under-20 gold medal as well as the NCAA indoor/outdoor double.
The 18-year-old Hibbert has a personal best 17.87m, off a shortened run-up, and while he is not expected to be challenged, Ricketts could get some competition from NCAA long jump champion Akelia Smith.
The men’s long jump battle could be an epic contest between last year’s winner Wayne Pinnock and his Arkansas teammate Carey McLeod.
Romaine Beckford, the NCAA double champion, should win the men’s high jump.
However, women’s defending champion Kimberly Williamson will be pushed by Commonwealth Games champion Lamara Distin and also Daniella Anglin.
Hibbert, who could be jumping off a 14-step run-up this weekend instead of the 12 steps he has been using all season, will no doubt be the star attraction in the jumps. Based on his form, there are expectations that he could challenge James Beckford’s national record set in 1995, 10 years before the former Kingston College athlete was born.
McLeod competed in both the long and triple jumps at the Olympic Games in 2021, and as yet there is no certainty whether he will contest the triple as well.
Former Jamaica College and University of Texas star Obrien Wasome is the second-ranked Jamaican in the men’s triple jump and he is expected to show up, as well as Jordan Scott and Apalos Edwards.
A mere centimetre separates Ricketts from Smith, who leads the Jamaican rankings with her lifetime best 14.54m at the NCAA Championships.
Ricketts has, however, come very close to the 15.00m and could have more in store than Smith who is coming off a hectic NCAA season. But the expectations are for strong competition.
Smith, who competed in both horizontal jumps at the World Championships last year, is the leading Jamaican so far this year and the only one with the qualifying standard for Budapest, while Nia Robinson, Tissanna Hickling and Chanice Porter are all on the World Rankings quota list.
McLeod, the NCAA double champion; Pinnock, who was ninth in the long jump last year in Eugene; and 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle, have all attained the qualifying standard but the competition is expected to be close.
Gayle shocked the world in 2019 with his national record 8.69m to grab the top spot in Doha, becoming the first Jamaican to win a jump gold at this level.
Injuries have, however, slowed his upward trajectory. He was only 11th at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and failed to get a legal jump last year as he tried to defend his world title in Eugene.
His best mark this year was 8.13m indoors, but if fully fit the 24th-ranked jumper could push for a spot on the team.
Pinnock leads the Jamaican 2023 outdoor list with 8.37m, followed by McLeod’s 8.26m. Both are well ahead of the field that is also expected to include Nickaoli Williams, Shawn-D Thompson and Ryan Brown.
Romaine Beckford, who took his personal best to 2.27m this year, will go into the championships safely in the World Rankings quota list, along with Lushane Wilson who has cleared 2.26m, with Christoff Bryan not far off on 2.24m.
All three men will try to get as close to the qualifying mark of 2.32m as possible to bolster their chances of grabbing a ticket to Budapest.
The tragic death of a relative appeared to have affected Distin as her performance fell off noticeably. After jumping 1.97m indoors she’s some way off her brilliant best from last year and lost in her final NCAA event, as she tried to defend her outdoor title.
Distin was expected to be threatening the 2.00m mark this year, and if she is able to get over the setback could make up for her dip in form.
Williamson has been consistent this season but is only ranked 31st in the World Rankings quota, whereas the top 36 will compete at the World Championships.