Getting it right - Tajay Gayle promises improved performance in long jump final
Published:Saturday | September 28, 2019 | 12:00 AMAndrÈ Lowe/Sports Editor
DOHA, Qatar:
Tajay Gayle’s debut World Championships experience did not get off to the start that most would have predicted, as he struggled to secure his spot in the final of the men’s long jump competition at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Gayle, who has the sixth best mark this season of all competitors here with a distance of 8.32m, could only manage a best of 7.89m yesterday, which left him seventh in his qualification pool and 12th overall for the final qualifying spot.
The PanAm Games silver medal winner, pointed to technical issues but assured that he will get things right for today’s final, which gets under way at 8:40 p.m. (12:40 p.m. Jamaica time).
“Honestly, it didn’t go as planned but come tomorrow (today), I am sure I will get everything right. Today (yesterday) was a bit of a setback, but I think I really over-thought some stuff, but you can’t count me out as yet. I am in the final, so that’s important,” Gayle said.
Yesterday’s 7.89m result, was Gayle’s worst performance all season in a year that has seen him jump over 8.20m on seven occasions. Only gold medal favourite, Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echavarria, who posted 8.40m, went over that mark in yesterday’s qualifying.
The 23 year-old MVP Track Club athlete said he has been working with his coach Stephen Francis in making some adjustments to his technique, which he hopes to get right in today’s medal round.
“We have been working on some flight and landing technique and apparently I didn’t think about the run-up enough, but by tomorrow (today) everything will be ok,” Gayle shared.
Gayle noted that he was not bothered by the magnitude of the occasion and that positive results throughout the season, against the very athletes he faced yesterday means he has no issues where confidence is concerned.
“I am jumping against the same persons each time, so this being my first World Championships didn’t factor at all. Everything that didn’t go too well out there today was because of me, entirely my fault, not the meet or anything like that,” he said.
“I know there is a lot of expectation, but there is no pressure on me. I have been jumping against these guys all season so it’s the same thing. Only I can determine what happens out there. We will see tomorrow (today). I am pretty sure everything will come together. I am very confident I won’t have the same issues.”
Gayle’s seven best jumps this year:
8.32m July 20 London, England
8.30m May 4 Kingston, Jamaica
8.24m May 18 Shanghai, China
8.24m June 22 Kingston, Jamaica
8.21m May 20 Nanjing, China
8.20m April 13 St George’s, Grenada
8.20m August 29 Zurich, Switzerland