Cuban jumpers impress Shawn-D Thompson

When you watch Shawn-D Thompson begin his approach run in the long jump, he makes you think of Cuban great Ivan Pedroso.

It’s no accident as the Jamaican admires the Cuban style of jumping and is coached by expert Marlon Gayle who studied in Cuba. Thompson, the Commonwealth Games fourth- place finisher, will no doubt be scanning some of Pedroso’s jumps between now and this week’s National Championships.

Thompson, a member of the SprinTec Track Club, doesn’t shy away from his admiration for the man who won the 2000 Olympic Games title with a dramatic final round jump.

“I’m really interested in Pedroso to be honest, as a matter of fact I admire all Cubans to honest because my coach studied in Cuba so I find all Cubans really interesting,” he admitted on June 24, after winning the JAAA All-Comers meet long jump event.

Cubans Juan Miguel Echevarria and Maykel Masso finished second and third in the 2021 Olympic long jump final to continue the island nation’s long history of success in the field. Before them, Ibrahim Camejo placed third in 2008.

Pedroso, who also won four outdoor World Championships and five indoors, had a very consistent run-up and Thompson is working to get his approach more consistent. In 10 meets this season, he has fouled 20 of the 56 attempts allotted to him.

“To be honest,” he said after winning at Jamaica College with a modest distance of 7.29 metres, “it (run-up) is just inconsistent most times, but I’m working on it to get it perfect at the senior Trials.”

Those Trials, the National Senior Championships begin on July 6 and Thompson will face World Champion Tajay Gayle and the Jamaicans who placed first and second at the recent NCAA Championships, Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock. He has a mature approach to the task at hand.

“My ambition is to get a personal best and everything will be put in place from there,” he reasoned.

His personal best is 8.13m in 2019 and he leaped 8.05m at the Commonwealth Games. The former St Jago High School jumper needs a bit more to reach the World Athletics Championships qualifying standard of 8.25m. Pinnock and McLeod have jumped 8.37m and 8.26m, respectively, this year, with Jordan Turner at 8.13m and Gayle, who is coming back from injury, at 8.12m.

The 26-year-old, holder of the NACAC Open long jump bronze, has twice registered 7.75m in 2023.

Thompson is simply going to buckle down.

“There’s more to accomplish so all you have to do is just keep focused and keep going forward,”he said.