CHAMPS 2022 | JC's Edwards hits Class Three long jump pay dirt

Michael-Andre Edwards was staring down the barrel of a bronze medal when he started the runway for his final jump in the boys' Class Three long jump at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships on at the National Stadium.

To boot, his school, Jamaica College (JC), defending champions of the competition, had been relegated to second place and every point counts in the fight to stave off defeat to perennial rivals, Kingston College (KC).

Edwards had, so far, a best jump of 5.91 metres with St Jago's Deandre Jennings third-round jump of 5.94, just ahead of his, in second place.

Kingston College's Courtney Kinglock had jumped 6.14 and looked a shoo-in for the gold medal. At the time, he was the only athlete over six metres.

Throwing caution to the wind, Edwards slammed on the accelerator and hit the board hard.

Pay dirt!

The mark was a massive 6.55 metres. And now to wait.

Yes, Edwards would have to wait until Jennings and Kinglock had their last attempts to see where he would fall among the medals.

That final jump from Jennings cut the sand at 5.56 and while Kinglock was more enterprising, his jump, 6.18, though his best of the evening, was short.

The difference between the KC and JC athletes is just two points, but with almost four days of Championships complete, every one of them count.

In the end, the three would line up as follows; Edwards, 6.55, Kinglock, 6.18, Jennings, 5.94.

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