Hibbert tweaks approach ahead of National Champs

EVEN THOUGH he has the biggest mark of the season, Jamaica’s triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert is working to improve. The gangling 18-year-old is adding two strides to the 12-step approach run that gave him a world-leading mark of 17.87 metres in May and a US NCAA title in June.

The adjustment is going well.

“After the NCAA, I felt good. I was healthy and going into training and practising the run-up, it feels almost as natural,” said Hibbert, who was just getting ready for his journey to Kingston for the July 6-9 National Championships. “Coach would say almost like riding a bike,” he added.

‘Coach’ is American Travis Geopfert, whose squadron of Jamaican jumpers have been flying all season. Asked to reveal what fans might expect from Hibbert at the Nationals, Geopfert replied, “He’s been working on it, and I really like where it’s at right now, but the timing’s different and I think it’s going to be really good, really beneficial, long term, and so I think he’s excited to give it a try.”

For Hibbert, it is a return to something he often did at Kingston College.

“I’ve done it already at Champs, at World Juniors, Carifta last year, so I think I’m ready and I’m not nervous,” the 2022 World Under-20 champion calmly explained.

Remarkably, he has only contested seven meets all year.

“It was very much calculated in terms of the length of the year, heading into Jamaican Trials and World Championships, of course, but this was also calculated because of his age, and because of the event that he’s in. That event, it can be hard on your body”, Geopfert stated.

For the same reason, Jaydon has skipped the long jump this year.

SINGLE FOCUS

“I think that could be in his future as well but for this year, we’re going through growth spurts, transitioning to college. We felt that it was in his personal interest to limit competition, limit the number of jumps, focus on the one event for right now, and I’m really thankful he’s bought into it,” the coach said.

With no other Jamaicans close to the World Athletics qualifying standard of 17.20 metres, Hibbert is almost assured of an opportunity to rub shoulders with stars like Pedro Pablo Picardo of Portugal, the World Champion.

Surprisingly, there is no star triple jumper whom the young Jamaican idolises.

“The event is brutal on the body. I admire every triple jumper there is, whether 13 metres, 18 metres, but my favourite thing to do as a triple jumper is to look over my videos and, you know, take in what my coach is saying, the corrections, because I guess watching somebody, yes, it can motivate you to do better, but it can’t enhance your jumps,” he outlined.

“The thing that does enhance my jumps is correcting the stuff that I did wrong. So, overall, I would say I’m my best triple jumper.”