Sun | Dec 22, 2024

No regrets

Hibbert thankful for fourth place after difficult Olympic season

Published:Saturday | August 10, 2024 | 6:36 AMDaniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer
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Jaydon Hibbert of Jamaica competing in the men’s long jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Following a fouled jump on his fourth and fifth attempt, Hibbert skipped his sixth attempt and finished in fou
Gladstone Taylor
Jaydon Hibbert of Jamaica competing in the men’s long jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Following a fouled jump on his fourth and fifth attempt, Hibbert skipped his sixth attempt and finished in fourth place.
Roshawn Clarke (centre) of Jamaica fell during the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Clarke tripped over the final hurdle and fell, unable to complete the event.
Gladstone Taylor
Roshawn Clarke (centre) of Jamaica fell during the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Clarke tripped over the final hurdle and fell, unable to complete the event.
Tia Clayton of Jamaica running the anchor leg of the women’s 4x100m relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Jamaica placed 5th in the final.
Gladstone Taylor
Tia Clayton of Jamaica running the anchor leg of the women’s 4x100m relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday. Jamaica placed 5th in the final.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent (right) competing in the 100m women’s hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday.
Gladstone Taylor
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent (right) competing in the 100m women’s hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Friday.
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PARIS, FRANCE:

IT MAY not have been the storybook ending he would have liked, but given the circumstances of the last two months, Jaydon Hibbert is just thankful that in his first Olympic final, he gave his all.

His all saw him finish just outside the podium of the men’s triple jump by three centimetres, to place fourth in 17.61m.

Spain’s Jordan Diaz Fortun won the title in 17.86, dethroning former Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo who got silver in 17.84. Andy Diaz Hernandez edged Hibbert for the podium in 17.64.

Hibbert disclosed that he was medically cleared to compete on the day of the qualifiers on Wednesday and he had doubts about competing yesterday.

Having managed to complete four jumps compared to only one at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hibbert expressed gratitude on being able to finish a major global championship final with legal attempts on the board.

“I want to thank God for this moment. I did my best. I gave it all I had. And what happened out there, stays out there. I am not going to carry things into next season. I’m just truly grateful for the opportunity to first come to the Olympics and to get through the competition,” Hibbert told The Gleaner.

Hibbert did put together a strong sequence of jumps through the first three rounds but fouled on round four, which triggered his glutes and felt it in his hamstring in round five.

Hibbert revealed that he was 80 per cent going into the Olympics dealing with a tear in his meniscus two months before.

“I fought for this fourth place. I am not disappointed. This has been a rough two months and I didn’t really trust myself but then I saw that I could do it,” he said.

“It’s all a learning curve. I came three centimetres from third. I know I could do better. But I am grateful for moments like these.”

YOUNG CORE BETTER FOR THE EXPERIENCE

National 400m hurdles record holder Roshawn Clarke did not finish in the men’s 400m hurdles final, after clipping the final hurdle which caused him to lose his momentum and stumble, not able to cross the line.

Rai Benjamin of the United States took the title in a season’s best effort of 46.46. Former Olympic champion Karsten Warholm was second in 47.06, and former world champion Alison Dos Santos was third in 47.26.

Jamaica finished fifth in the women’s 4x100m relay final with the team of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes and Tia Clayton clocking 42.29. Reid and Nelson were called into action following the withdrawal of five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and world 200m champion Shericka Jackson.

The United States won the title in 41.78, while Great Britain was second in 41.85 and Germany third in 41.97.

Reid said that the young core will be better off for the experience for future championships.

“I think that we did fairly well. It is a young team and it is just for us to stay focused and use this as a learning process. Some of us were on different legs but nevertheless we came out here and did our best. Even though it didn’t go the way we wanted, we are young and this is a learning experience,” Reid told The Gleaner.

FINAL DAY OF TRACK AND FIELD

The final day of track and field from the Stade de France will feature Romaine Beckford in the men’s high jump final at 12:00 noon today Jamaica time. Beckford will be Jamaica’s first men’s Olympic finalist in 68 years.

National champion and record holder Ackera Nugent will be Jamaica’s lone representative in the women’s 100m hurdles final after progressing through from her semifinal as a non-automatic qualifier.

Reigning world champion Danielle Williams clipped the second hurdle and never recovered as she finished sixth in 12.82. Brown was seventh in her semifinal in 12.92.

Jamaica will also have their last shot at a relay medal in these Games when the women will line up in the 4x400m final at 2:14 p.m. The team of Andrenette Knight, Ashley Williams, Charokee Young and Stephenie Ann McPherson qualified for the final, comfortably winning their first-round heat in 3:24.92 minutes.

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