Jadel GREGÓRIO

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Updated 29 July 2008

Jadel GREGÓRIO, Brazil (Triple Jump)

Born 16 September 1980, Jandaia do Sul, Paraná, Brazil
2.02m / 102kg
Lives: Gateshead, Great Britain
Coach: Peter Stanley

Jadel Gregório could have been a basketball star. With his powerful body of 2.02m in height and more than 100kg in weight, he would have been able to fight for a place in the NBA. But, from the very beginning, he had different sporting plans. He fell in love with athletics at first sight and has never quit. When he was young, he practiced many disciplines successfully, but his final destiny was the Triple Jump. Now he wants to follow in a glorious Brazilian Olympic tradition.

Although Gregório was born in Jandaia do Sul, a small town in the state of Paraná, his family moved to Marília when he was only 2 years old. There he discovered athletics, together with soccer, as does every small boy in Brazil. But he chose the first one. “I remember watching a lot of competitions and always looking forward to being chosen to be part of them,” he said. “I wanted to be there and give my best. That was what attracted me to the sport.”

At the beginning, he performed well at almost every discipline: hurdles, throws, jumps, but especially at High Jump, his favourite. That was why Nélio Alfano Moura, the coach who helped him to reach international level, first thought of taking him to Decathlon. Moura asked him to move to Sao Paulo to join Projeto Futuro (development programme) at the Ibirapuera Park. After the first training weeks and competitions, he tempted him into the Triple Jump. “I began to train more seriously there. I had to wake up earlier than usual”, Gregório laughed.

In 1999, Gregório achieved his first international successes, being bronze medallist at the Pan American Junior Championships, and achieving a golden double at the South American Junior Championships (Long and Triple Jump). That was the beginning of a successful career. In 2001, he surpassed the 17m barrier and won the South American Senior Championships in Manaus. In 2002, he broke the South American indoor record twice, establishing it at 17.35, in Samara, Russia.

At the same time, another Samara appeared in Gregório’s life. He fell in love with Samara Abdul Ghani, one of the physiotherapists at the BM&F Athletics Club. This girl, of Lebanese origin, would change Gregório’s life in the near future.

From 2002 to 2004, the Brazilian built a continuous streak of medal-winning and near medal-winning performances in regional and global championships. He became one of the top 10 triple jumpers in the world and has never abandoned this group.

In 2004, he won the silver medal at the World Indoor Championships, in Budapest. But he wanted a podium place at the outdoor World Championships and the Olympic Games. “I can’t complain, because I made it to the finals in both the 2003 and 2005 World Championships, and finished 5th at the 2004 Olympic Games,” he said. “But everybody wants more. I’m gonna fight for the medals.”

For that reason, Gregório left Brazil at the end of 2005 and moved to Great Britain to train with Peter Stanley, former advisor to the current World record holder, Jonathan Edwards. He admitted to being a big fan of the great British jumper, against whom he had the opportunity to compete. “Jonathan is a very simple and humble person,” Gregório said. “He’s the best triple jumper of all time.”

But this was not the only big change in Gregório’s life during 2005. He married Samara and wanted to change his name into a Muslim one: Jade Abdul Ghani Gregório. Moreover, he converted to Muslim religion. Nowadays, they have a boy called Jade and a little girl called Sahara. “My family is my place in the world. They support me everyday”, he said.

Since then, the Brazilian has repeated his second place at the World Indoor Championships (Moscow 2006), with an area indoor record of 17.56, and he was second at the 2006 World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, and at the World Cup in Athens.

In 2007, during the GP Brazil of Belem, Gregório jumped 17.90, breaking the South American record of 17.89 that João Carlos de Oliveira had established 32 years before in Mexico (a World record at the time). Now he is a main candidate to break the mythical 18m mark. Pedro Henrique de Toledo, who coached de Oliveira, says: “Jadel has the potential to do it: Perhaps all he needs if a little bit of luck”.

Gregório delighted the crowd at Rio de Janeiro during the Pan American Games, in July, when he won with 17.27. A couple of weeks later he attained one of his goals: he was silver medallist at the World Championships, in Osaka, beaten only by Portuguese Nelson Evora.

But he knows he can do better, and become the next Olympic medallist for Brazil in the Triple Jump: Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won two titles (Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956); Nélson Prudencio achieved silver in Mexico in 1968 and bronze in Munich in 1972; and de Oliveira grabbed two bronze medals (Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980). All three are former World record holders.

“To be able to look back at such a huge history full of champions means a lot to me, like to the rest of our athletes,” Gregório said. “They were all great stars: they brought prestige to our sport and a remarkable contribution to my country. I’m always pleased to remember their names and their accomplishments.” It will be really difficult for him to emulate them, but he knows he has the potential to do it.

Since travelling means a big effort to him, Gregório decided to compete less during the 2008 season so as to focus on improving his technique. That was why he did not go to the World Indoor Championships, in Valencia, and stayed in Cuba for a couple of months for training instead. “Cuban technique is the best one”, he insisted.

Personal Bests:

Triple Jump: 17.90, AR (2007)/17.56i AR (2006)
High Jump: 2.10 (1999)
Long Jump: 8.22 (2004); 8.26w (2007)

Yearly Progression

Triple Jump: 1999: 16.18; 2000: 16.48; 2001: 17.13; 2002: 17.35i/17.11; 2003: 17.11/17.37w; 2004: 17.72; 2005: 17.73; 2006: 17.56i/17.54; 2007: 17.90 (AR), 2008: 17.28.

Career Highlights

1999 3rd Pan American Junior Championships (Tampa)  15.90
 1st South American Junior Championships (Concepción) 16.18
 1st South American Junior Championships (Concepción)   7.36 (LJ)
2001 1st South American Championships (Manaus)   16.98
 3rd World University Games (Beijing)    16.92
2002 1st Ibero-American Championships (Guatemala)  16.90
 5th World Cup (Madrid)      16.61
 4th Grand Prix Final (Paris)                17.01
2003 6th World Indoor Championships (Birmingham)   16.86
1st South American Championships (Barquisimeto)  16.76
2nd Pan American Games (Santo Domingo)   17.03
5th World Championships (Paris)     17.11
4th World Athletics Final (Monaco)     16.95
2004 2nd World Indoor Championships (Budapest)   17.43
5th Olympic Games (Athens)     17.31
4th World Athletics Final (Monaco)     17.13
2005 6th World Championships (Helsinki)    17.20
2nd World Athletics Final (Monaco)    17.32
2006 2nd World Indoor Championships (Moscow)   17.56
2nd World Athletics Final (Stuttgart)    17.12
2nd World Cup (Athens)      17.41
2007 1st Pan American Games (Rio de Janeiro)   17.27
 2nd World Championships (Osaka)    17.59
 6th World Athletics Final (Stuttgart)    16.95

Prepared by Víctor Pochat for the IAAF “Focus on Athletes” project. © IAAF 2008.