Jamaica&rsquo;s Jaydon Hibbert has been extremely successful in a relatively short period.&nbsp;In the space of two years, the young triple jumper has earned a world U20 silver medal to go with his North American, Central American and Caribbean Association (NACAC) U18 and CARIFTA U20 titles.
In Colombia, less than a year after his second place finish at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, he will have the opportunity to target another global podium place at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22, being held at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Colombia from 1-6 August.
And the 17-year-old will do so off the back of some highly promising results.
His winning effort of 16.66m at the recent ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys&rsquo; and Girls&rsquo; Athletics Championships &ndash; known as 'Champs' &ndash; was not only a championship record but also a Jamaican U18 best that moved him to fifth on the world U18 all-time list.
In his formative years, Hibbert progressed from being an unpredictable talent, having tried several disciplines while at RJR Basic School and Vaz Preparatory School in Kingston, before finally finding his niche years later at Kingston College.
&ldquo;I participated in the 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump and high jump at prep school,&rdquo; Hibbert explains.
Interestingly, though, Hibbert did not compete for Kingston College, the most successful school in Champs history, until grade 10. According to Hibbert, it was not his fate to compete before the appointed time and he stayed firm for his opportunity to shine.
"It was a long wait and nobody really knew me before," declares the polite and modest Hibbert. "I struggled to identify the event that worked best for me, but I finally discovered that jumps (long and triple) were my calling." 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6263bb81fd4416b481bcc8c0.jpg" alt="Jaydon Hibbert competes at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21" />
Jaydon Hibbert competes at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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Champs, with its prestige and history, undoubtedly represents one of the greatest milestones at which any high school Jamaican athlete can dream of showing their talent. In 2021, his first year at Champs, Hibbert achieved&nbsp;mixed results.
&ldquo;I was predicted to win both events,&rdquo; says Hibbert, who contested the long jump and triple jump. "However, I had muscle contractions all over my body and could not compete effectively.&rdquo;
First, he failed to make it to the long jump final after finishing 11th in the preliminary round, before bouncing back to claim silver in the triple jump.
Hibbert believed his season had ended after Champs until one&nbsp;day his telephone rang. &ldquo;My coach (Jeremy Dellisser) called and asked&nbsp;me to return to&nbsp;training for two upcoming championships in Costa Rica and Kenya,&rdquo; he says.
&ldquo;So, I trained, but I wasn&rsquo;t optimistic because of my unsatisfactory Champs results. Anyway, I proceeded to win the national U18 trials with a personal best of 15.68m. Afterwards, I sat down&nbsp;and watched the rest of the trials without knowing&nbsp;that I had achieved the world U20 qualifying standard. I was notified five hours later by my coach that I was on the national team."
Although Hibbert was still relatively new to the sport, his unwavering faith in God, self-confidence and powerful school motto &ndash; &lsquo;The brave may fall, but never yield&rsquo; &ndash; gave him the assurance of succeeding at international level in his breakout season.
In August, a very excited Hibbert travelled to Nairobi for the World U20 Championships. To say the trip and the conditions were foreign to him would aptly describe the experience.
"I've never sat in a tight space for 16 hours before," says Hibbert, who is not a fan of long flights.
&ldquo;I had difficulty sleeping when I landed, as my body did not adjust immediately to the eight-hour time zone difference between Kenya and Jamaica. In fact, I had to stay awake and wait until the following night to sleep. I also had to wear jackets throughout the day as it was really cold given the altitude (1795m above sea level).&rdquo;
In the triple jump final, the then 16-year-old Jamaican was the youngest participant of the 11 finalists.&nbsp;Nevertheless, he was undaunted by their seniority, especially knowing he was capable of going beyond 16&nbsp;metres, a feat he had achieved while winning the NACAC U18 title in San Jose, Costa Rica, a month earlier.
On the eve of the global championships, he learned he was second in the rankings. In spite of&nbsp;this revelation, he remained focused, knowing he had a great opportunity to do something special.
&ldquo;My confidence was boosted somewhat after registering a personal best at the national trials and afterwards I kept improving, so I knew everything was coming together,&rdquo; he says.
&ldquo;Despite the weather being what it was, it did not faze me too much, as I knew I had a job to do. I adjusted really well, surprisingly, and then it got warmer on the last two days of the championships, which suited me as the triple jump final was on the last day.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp;
He bounded out to 16.05m in the second round and led the competition until the fourth round, when eventual winner Gabriel Wallmark (16.43m) of Sweden overtook him. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6263bc01fd4416b481bcc8c3.jpg" alt="Bronze medallist Simon Gore, winner Gabriel Wallmark and silver medallist Jaydon Hibbert in Nairobi" />
Bronze medallist Simon Gore, winner Gabriel Wallmark and silver medallist Jaydon Hibbert in Nairobi (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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The silver medal crowned an extraordinary year for Hibbert, who took advantage of the opportunities presented to him. But he almost did not have the chance to build on that, with injuries afflicting him prior to the 2022 season and nearly denying him the chance to compete.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I got injured in November last year. I had two back strains and a hip injury along with some shin splints and knee pains,&rdquo; explains Hibbert, who had to fast track his training schedule due to the amount of time lost.
&ldquo;I prayed and worked tirelessly in the gym as well as visited the physiotherapist regularly to get back into shape to compete and dominate at Champs,&rdquo; he adds.
After his subpar showing in the long jump at Champs in 2021, Hibbert, who takes pride in his results, was determined to redeem himself with a performance that would simply restore the faith placed in him.
&ldquo;This was my second year at Champs and I wanted it to count,&rdquo; says Hibbert, who won titles in both the long jump and triple jump with lifetime best and world-leading efforts in his age group &ndash; 7.87m in the long jump as well as his 16.66m in the triple jump.
Two weeks later, in front of his home crowd, he established a CARIFTA Games triple jump record after bounding out to 16.46m, which came after a wind-assisted 17.05m (+2.8m/s) in the previous round. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/625e77e3860eccdb05cd7142.jpg" alt="Jaydon Hibbert in the triple jump at the 49th edition of the Carifta Games in Kingston" />
Jaydon Hibbert in the triple jump at the 49th edition of the Carifta Games in Kingston (&copy; Athelstan Bellamy)
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The teenager, though technically sound, sets high standards and is constantly in search of knowledge to improve in his discipline.
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m good technically,&rdquo; says Hibbert. &ldquo;As far as speed is concerned, I am working on it. Last year, I was really slow and weak. My coach has identified these two areas and this season we have been working on both my speed and strength.&rdquo;&nbsp;
With age on his side, he has time to work on his weaknesses as he looks to follow in the footsteps of athletes such as world and Olympic champions Christian Taylor and Jonathan Edwards, who he watches on YouTube while searching for the perfect technique.
The World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 is next on the horizon and Hibbert is looking forward to peaking at the right time.
&ldquo;I am more confident than I was last year, given that I&rsquo;m jumping really well so early in the season,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;My aspirations are to get a personal best and to make my mom proud.&rdquo;
Noel Francis for World Athletics

Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert has been extremely successful in a relatively short period. 

From Nairobi to Cali for Jamaican triple jump talent Hibbert

Every so often in sport, an athlete comes along with a level of talent so otherworldly, and a biological composition so perfectly suited to an event, that it seems, as the old cliche goes, they were simply born to do it.&nbsp;
Yulimar Rojas is that kind of athlete.&nbsp;
When she takes to the triple jump runway the Venezuelan, who stands at 1.92m, holds thousands of fans captive in her grasp &ndash; her speed, power and astonishing elasticity offering up the promise of something ridiculous, something absurd, as she bounces off the board and bounds towards the sand.&nbsp;
On the final day of the&nbsp;World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22, that&rsquo;s exactly what occurred, Rojas setting an outright world record with her 15.74m in the sixth round.&nbsp;
Her closest rival was a full metre behind.&nbsp;
That sense of timing, showmanship and electrifying entertainment has become Rojas&rsquo;s trademark. She did the same in Tokyo, saving her best for the final round, where she smashed the world record with 15.67m.&nbsp;
So, what is it about saving her best for last?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell you the truth, I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t feel any different, but it is the jump for glory. Maybe one day I&rsquo;ll be known as 'the girl of the sixth jump'.&rdquo;
She&rsquo;s 26 now, and Rojas has already done it all, won it all. What&rsquo;s left? One specific number.
&ldquo;I was born to jump 16 metres,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This is what inspires me to inspire others to achieve their dreams, and help athletics remain the best sport in the world.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62374cd4994d2a65836cdd48.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 At the Stark Arena in Belgrade on Sunday, it was hard to disagree with her assessment, Rojas&rsquo;s feat the highlight of a remarkable morning of athletics. As she sat underneath the stadium an hour later, trying to make sense of what she&rsquo;d done, she said the day &ldquo;has been like living a dream&rdquo;.&nbsp;
What makes her story all the more inspiring is how high she has climbed from such humble beginnings. Born in Caracas, Rojas grew up in Pozuelos, an underprivileged area outside the coastal town of Puerto la Cruz.&nbsp;
She started her athletics journey as a high jumper, clearing 1.81m at the age of 15. She turned to the long jump in 2013, leaping a Venezeulan U20 record of 6.23m and the following year she started triple jumping, leaping 13.65m at the age of 18.&nbsp;
Her link-up with current coach Ivan Pedroso is owed, in essence, to the Facebook algorithm that suggested the four-time world long jump champion and 2000 Olympic gold medallist as a friend. Rojas wrote to Pedroso about how much she admired him, and he invited her to train with him at his base in Guadalajara, Spain.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was destiny,&rdquo; says Rojas.&nbsp;
That was in 2015 and she&rsquo;s been improving ever since, winning world outdoor titles in 2017 and 2019 and world indoor titles in 2016, 2018 and, of course, 2022. Rojas has been undefeated in the triple jump for two and a half years, stringing together a series of performances that&rsquo;s never been witnessed in the sport.&nbsp;
She has changed the game, and it in turn has changed her.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Athletics is my whole life,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s made me the person I am, put so many amazing people in my life: my coach, my training partners. It made me a better person.&rdquo;
Pedroso&rsquo;s group includes a horde of other world-class jumpers, and the vibe there is a blend of laid-back fun and serious, resolute commitment to perfecting their craft.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re like a family,&rdquo; says Rojas. &ldquo;We all have individual goals, but we all work together and support one another.&rdquo;
In Belgrade, Rojas got a vivid reminder of the power of sport &ndash; just how deeply it can enrich the lives of both participants and those watching.&nbsp;
Finishing second to her in the triple jump with a jump of 14.74m was Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, one of six Ukrainian athletes competing in the Serbian capital as a war rages on in their native country. &nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62374e31df311fc08f529d31.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 &ldquo;I&rsquo;m particularly happy for Maryna,&rdquo; said Rojas. &ldquo;I am happy because women have stood up. In Ukraine there is a war which does not make sense. It shouldn&rsquo;t be like this, but I&rsquo;m happy to see Ukrainian athletes competing here, showing they can be successful.&rdquo;
Rojas&rsquo;s home nation has had its own issues for many years, and while the severity of such crises might trivialise the importance of sport, what it also does is highlight how much of a welcome distraction, an uplifting euphoria, it provides to so many.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know the people back in my country should be celebrating,&rdquo; says Rojas. &ldquo;Yes, there have been difficult moments there, but I&rsquo;m very happy to show what Venezuelan people can achieve.&rdquo;
Coming to Belgrade, Rojas knew she could achieve something special.&nbsp;
Her first triple jump competition of the year, when she jumped 15.41m in Madrid, proved as much. In her first few jumps in Belgrade, she &ldquo;made some mistakes&rdquo; and looked utterly displeased after opening with 15.19m, a jump that would still have easily won gold.&nbsp;
But such is Rojas&rsquo;s brilliance that, these days, she competes not so much against her rivals as with herself, and with history.&nbsp;
Such is her relationship with Pedroso that during Sunday&rsquo;s final, little needed to be said, Rojas knowing intuitively when the technical aspects of her run-up or three jumping phases was slightly askew.
&ldquo;Ivan and I are very connected, we are one person,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t even need to talk. We know what the other is thinking.&rdquo;
And after she unleashed the best triple jump in history by a woman, she quickly deflected praise to her long-time coach. &ldquo;He deserves just as much credit as I do for this jump,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62370dada8627eaa82745101.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 One of her next goals is to surpass her mentor. Pedroso won four world outdoor long jump titles, five world indoor titles, and one Olympic gold. Rojas wants more.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He knows I can get there,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;He knows I will do it.&rdquo;
Those who witnessed Rojas float over the track and out, up and away into that sand were treated to a sight that will stick with them forever &ndash; as indeed will the legacy of Rojas&rsquo;s performances.
She&rsquo;s an athlete who took her physical gifts and used them to transform her life, transcend her sport, and her years of work and dedication are now taking the women&rsquo;s triple jump into the stratosphere.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Nothing is impossible, that is my motto, and it&rsquo;s what I believe in,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;If you work with your heart, your belief, your love of the sport, nothing is impossible.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Every so often in sport, an athlete comes along with a level of talent so otherworldly, that it seems they were simply born to do it. 

Rojas adds to her legend with another world record in Belgrade

Yulimar Rojas was already on the brink of creating even more history, set to become the first athlete to win three world indoor triple jump titles. But that wasn&rsquo;t enough for the Venezuelan jumps superstar. With the final leap of the competition on Sunday (20), she soared to a sensational outright world record of 15.74m*.
Some of her previous attempts at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 had been close to the board, but this one was different. It was clearly a legal leap as she moved from her hop and into her step and jump, landing in the sand further than she ever has before, indoors or out.
Springing back up, she started to celebrate. And then it was confirmed - 15.74m to improve her own world record of 15.67m that she achieved to win the Olympic title in Tokyo. Her previous indoor best had been the 15.43m she recorded in Madrid in February 2020.
"I achieved my third indoor title here, crowned with the world record. I cannot be more thankful," said Rojas,&nbsp;who earned a $50,000 world record bonus. "Coming here, I knew it was the right time to achieve this and I took the chance.
"Looking back to 2018, I am the same person but I improved a lot technically and also got the mental strength. Now, I want to focus on the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and I think there is a big chance of making a double, in the long jump and triple jump. If I am in shape and the conditions are good, I can do both.
"The 16-metre mark is my big goal. Every day, I am trying to add one more centimetre to get closer to it." 
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkuROrHlBlQ" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 The 26-year-old had set a safe looking 15.19m in the first round in Belgrade and then fouled in the second. In the third she was beyond 15 metres again, but such is her standard that after the attempt she stayed sitting in the sand, clearly frustrated to not have gone further.
She had another big jump in round four &ndash; landing at a mark that looked near her own world lead of 15.41m &ndash; but that was judged a foul.
The next was not. Soaring through the air, she landed and leapt straight back up, watching the scoreboard in anticipation. First came the green light and then the distance &ndash; 15.36m to match the championship record set in 2004 and miss her own world indoor record by just 7cm.
She wasn&rsquo;t done. Taking to the runway one last time, she engaged the crowd and was roared to her fifth consecutive global gold medal, winning by exactly a metre. She adds it to her world indoor wins in 2016 and 2018, the two world outdoor titles she claimed in 2017 and 2019, and her Olympic triumph last year.
Ukraine&rsquo;s world long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk also had the triple jump competition of her life, leaping 14.74m in the final round to move from eighth place to second. It was just her second triple jump competition since 2013 and she is also due to line up in the long jump final on Sunday afternoon.
"It was my first triple jump competition at international level and I was so lucky to be part of a world record event and to win the silver for my country," she said. "I devote this medal to all Ukrainian people, to the Ukrainian armed forces that defend our country.
"I don't know if will continue with triple jump, but I really enjoyed it today. Anything is possible. Now I need a little rest before the long jump."
The bronze was claimed by Jamaica&rsquo;s two-time Commonwealth champion Kimberly Williams, who jumped an indoor PB of 14.62m to add another world indoor medal to the silver she secured in Birmingham in 2018 and the bronze claimed in Sopot in 2014.
In a competition of impressive depth, it is just the second time in any indoor competition that 10 women have jumped beyond 14 metres.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
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<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S TRIPLE JUMP MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Yulimar Rojas 🇻🇪 VEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">15.74m WR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk 🇺🇦 UKR</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">14.74m PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Kimberly Williams 🇯🇲 JAM</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">14.62m PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3"><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/belgrade22/results/women/triple-jump/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Venezuelan wins third successive world indoor triple jump title with an outright world record

Rojas wins third world indoor triple jump title with outright world record of 15.74m in Belgrade

Up until last month, Lazaro Martinez had never competed indoors. But in the space of the past five weeks, the Cuban triple jumper won the World Indoor Tour and has now earned gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.
Although he had the leading mark of all the entrants, Martinez wasn&rsquo;t considered the pre-event favourite as he was up against the likes of Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo and defending world indoor champion Will Claye, both proven championship performers.
Indeed, Pichardo and Claye both raised their game and produced their longest jumps of the year, but Martinez proved to be too strong on the day. His opening-round leap of 17.64m held up as the best mark of the competition, despite Pichardo&rsquo;s best efforts to dethrone the 24-year-old Cuban.
Just minutes after Martinez&rsquo;s first-round effort, Pichardo opened with 17.42m, while Claye went out to 17.05m to move into third place. Pichardo then improved slightly to 17.46m in round two, consolidating his second-place position.
In round three, Martinez jumped 17.32m &ndash; still beyond his pre-competition outright PB. USA&rsquo;s Donald Scott, meanwhile, moved into a medal position with a season&rsquo;s best of 17.21m. Martinez produced another big leap in round four, breaking the sand at 17.62m. Claye tried his best to get back among the medals and improved to 17.19m in round five, but it wasn&rsquo;t enough to catch his teammate Scott, who earned his first major championships medal.
Pichardo passed his final two attempts, while Martinez aborted his final jump in the final stage, not that it mattered &ndash; he had already secured the title.
Martinez, the 2013 world U18 champion and two-time world U20 champion, now joins an exclusive club of 19 athletes to have won individual world titles at U18, U20 and senior level. He is also the first Cuban athlete to achieve the feat.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy &ndash; 17.64m is a great jump, and it&rsquo;s also my first major indoor medal,&rdquo; said Martinez. &ldquo;I trained very hard for this; everything was different this year. My training back home went very well and I felt very confident coming here.&rdquo;
After winning his second world U20 title in 2016 and finishing eight in the Olympic final that year as an 18-year-old, Martinez suffered from niggling tibia problems. Yoelbi Quesada, the 1997 world champion, started coaching Martinez in 2018 and now the duo is reaping the rewards.
&ldquo;This medal means a lot; it feels like it has opened the door to everything,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to the World Championships in Eugene [the scene of his first world U20 title in 2014], where I hope to jump 18 metres. I am now the world indoor champion, so I have to confirm it outdoors there.&rdquo;
With his 17.64m leap, Martinez moves to 16th on the world indoor all-time list, tied with outdoor world record-holder Jonathan Edwards, one place ahead of multiple world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor and two places ahead of his own coach, Quesada.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Lazaro Martinez 🇨🇺 CUB</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">17.64m WL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Pedro Pichardo 🇵🇹 POR</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">17.46m NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Donald Scott 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">17.21m SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/belgrade22/results/men/triple-jump/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Cuban becomes first Cuban to win world titles at U18, U20 and senior level

Martinez makes history with triple jump gold in Belgrade

Yulimar Rojas has the chance to make history yet again at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22, where she seeks to become the first three-time triple jump champion in the global indoor event.
Since winning her first world indoor title in Portland in 2016, Rojas has retained it, claimed two World Championships wins outdoors, become the Olympic champion and broken world records both indoors and outdoors.&nbsp;The Venezuelan puts on a show every time she takes to the runway and nothing less is expected in Belgrade. Not since the Rio Olympics in 2016 has she been defeated at a global championships, and on that occasion she still secured silver behind Colombia&rsquo;s Caterine Ibarguen.
The 26-year-old&rsquo;s world indoor record is the 15.43m she recorded in Madrid in February 2020, while her outright best is the 15.67m she achieved to win the Olympic title in Tokyo. Rojas was just 2cm off that indoor mark in Madrid at the start of this month, when she soared 15.41m in her first triple jump competition since winning the Diamond League title in September.
She went beyond 15 metres in all eight of her competitions last summer and is 79cm clear of her closest rival when it comes to this year&rsquo;s top list.
&ldquo;The most important thing there is to do a better mark,&rdquo; Rojas said in Madrid as she turned her attention to Belgrade. &ldquo;I want to be champion of the world, but I also want to enjoy the championships. It&rsquo;s been more than two years since we had a normal championships like this.&rdquo;
Should Rojas produce what she is capable of, gold is hers for the taking, but the competition to join her on the podium looks wide open.
Thea LaFond is another athlete who has been making history in her career so far. In Tokyo the 27-year-old became the first athlete from the Caribbean island of Dominica to compete in an Olympic final and her 17th place in Birmingham in 2018 was her nation&rsquo;s best placing so far in a women&rsquo;s event at the World Indoor Championships. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/9fc28c84-e30f-458b-811e-7fc19c1f8436.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Since then she has improved her national record to 14.60m in qualifying in Tokyo and added 2cm to that mark indoors in January for a performance that places her second on this season&rsquo;s top list behind Rojas&rsquo; world lead.
Among her competition is Cuba&rsquo;s 20-year-old Leyanis Perez Hernandez, who jumped an area U20 record of 14.53m last summer and improved her indoor best to 14.47m in February, while all of the athletes who joined Rojas on the podium at the 2018 event in Birmingham and the Tokyo Olympics also line up alongside her in Belgrade.
Jamaica&rsquo;s Kimberly Williams and Spain&rsquo;s Ana Peleteiro claimed silver and bronze medals in Birmingham four years ago and have respective season&rsquo;s bests of 14.32m and 14.15m, while Peleteiro added another bronze to her collection in Tokyo. There silver was secured by Portugal&rsquo;s Patricia Mamona, the second 15-metre-plus triple jumper in the field thanks to her 15.01m national record from Tokyo, who has a best of 14.17m this year.
World long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk is among the six members of the Ukrainian team for Belgrade and as well as her favoured discipline she is also entered for the triple jump, an event in which she sits fifth on this season&rsquo;s top list.
US record-holder Keturah Orji approached 15 metres outdoors last year and has jumped 14.28m so far this season, while other contenders include her compatriot Tori Franklin and Cuba's Liadagmis Povea.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

A look at the contenders in the women's triple jump at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.

More triple jump history to be made in Belgrade

The men&rsquo;s triple jump is possibly one of the most wide-open disciplines at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.
On paper, it oozes quality. Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo of Portugal is set to take on defending world indoor champion Will Claye of the USA.
But the discipline is yet to truly come to life in 2022, as only two Belgrade-bound entrants have jumped beyond 17 metres this year.
Perhaps that could all change in Belgrade, though.
Pichardo&rsquo;s only outing this year came at a low-key competition in Pombal in February where he jumped 16.57m. Not much should be read into that, though, as many athletes compete off a shortened approach in their first competitions of the season.
But it&rsquo;s safe to assume that he wouldn&rsquo;t have entered the World Indoors if he felt he couldn&rsquo;t contend for a medal. Indeed, apart from the 2019 World Championships, Pichardo has reached the podium at every championships he has contested over the past decade, indoors and out.
Claye, winner of the world indoor title in 2018 and 2012, has jumped 16.63m this year but, like Pichardo, is a proven championship performer and cannot be discounted.
If either of those men are unable to produce their usual high standard of jumping, Lazaro Martinez could take advantage. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/622f590f764a13268a73817b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Lazaro Martinez competes in Madrid (&copy; Giancarlo Colombo)
 Before this year, the Cuban had never competed indoors. He now heads to Belgrade with the leading season&rsquo;s best.
With his first jump in his first ever indoor competition, he sailed out to a world-leading 16.97m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin. He followed it moments later with 17.21m, the first indoor 17-metre jump of the year. After winning in Lievin, he once again came out on top in Madrid at the final World Indoor Tour Gold meeting, winning with 17.12m.
Having won world U18 gold in 2013 and world U20 titles in 2014 and 2016, the 24-year-old could now potentially complete a full set of world age-group titles if he wins his first senior gold in Belgrade.
There are several other contenders, though.
Algeria&rsquo;s Yasser Triki has jumped 16.95m so far this year, but is a 17.43m performer at his best outdoors, having jumped that mark to set a national record when finishing fifth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
French Olympian Jean-Marc Pontvianne finished third behind Martinez in Madrid, but then bounded out to a season&rsquo;s best of 17.08m in Paris. If he is able to reproduce that form in Belgrade, it may be enough for a medal.
Others to look out for include 2019 European indoor champion Nazim Babayev of Azerbaijan, 2016 European champion Max Hess of Germany, US indoor champion Donald Scott, and Jahnhai Perinchief of Bermuda.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

A look at the contenders in the men's triple jump at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22

Triple jump medals for the taking in Belgrade

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that three-time Olympic triple jump champion and former world record-holder Viktor Saneyev has died at the age of 76.
Born in Georgia on 3 October 1945, Saneyev went on to claim his Olympic titles at three consecutive Games, winning his first in Mexico City in 1968 before further success&nbsp;for the Soviet Union in Munich in 1972 and in Montreal in 1976.
Four years later in Moscow, he added an Olympic silver medal to his collection, while he won his two European titles in 1969 and 1974.
Saneyev&rsquo;s Olympic career began when he was 23 years of age, and he made his debut in superb style. Winning gold with a world record leap of 17.39m, it was his second world record of the day during an epic competition in which the global mark was improved four times.
During the previous day&rsquo;s qualification, Italy&rsquo;s Giuseppe Gentile had jumped a world record of 17.10m and he improved it to 17.22m in the first round of the final in&nbsp;Mexico City. Saneyev went one centimetre further in the third round before Brazil&rsquo;s Nelson Prudencio responded with a leap of 17.27m in the fifth round. Saneyev was not ready to be beaten, however, and he improved by another 16 centimetres to take the title.
He won his first European title in Athens the following year and then in Munich in 1972 he jumped 17.35m to successfully defend his Olympic title. He had lost the world record to Pedro Perez Duenas in 1971 but regained it after his second Olympic victory, leaping 17.44m in Sukhumi the following month. It was a record he would hold for the next three years.
After regaining his European title in 1974, Saneyev won his third consecutive Olympic title in 1976 in Montreal. Then, in 1980 in Moscow at the age of 34, he came close to a fourth Olympic gold when finishing second with 17.24m, just 11 centimetres off Jaak Uudmae&rsquo;s winning mark.
Saneyev &ndash; also a six-time European indoor champion &ndash; retired from competitive athletics after the 1980 Olympics and went on to work for the club Dynamo Tbilisi. He later worked as a coach in Australia and it was in Sydney that the triple jump great died.
Saneyev is survived by his wife Yana and their son Alex.
World Athletics

Viktor Saneyev, 1945-2022

Triple jump great Saneyev dies

Cuban triple jumper Leyanis Perez had already shown great potential, but it was at the inaugural Pan American Junior Games in early December where she first experienced international success. Claiming&nbsp;a convincing victory, it was a stepping stone towards bigger goals &ndash; including the&nbsp;World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 &ndash;&nbsp;as she enters&nbsp;the senior ranks.
&ldquo;It was a beautiful experience. I wanted to secure a mark from my first attempt and go for more in the subsequent rounds. I am thankful to everyone who has supported me, and it makes up for not competing in Tokyo,&rdquo; reflected the 19-year-old after gaining continental gold in Cali with a 14.39m leap. She surpassed 14 metres in all her five jumps.
&ldquo;Being in Tokyo and not able to compete was a big blow and missing the World U20 Championships was also tough to swallow. But my coach, mother, godfather and fellow athletes supported me in those difficult moments,&rdquo; she added.
After jumping over 14 metres in seven local meetings on home soil, including a national U20 record of 14.48m, Perez&nbsp;secured a spot on the Cuban team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the World U20 Championships in Kenya.
Then, in only her second competition outside of Cuba, she improved to 14.53m, just nine centimetres shy of the 25-year-old world U20 record. But during her final day of training in Spain before flying to Tokyo, she suffered a muscle contraction in her right leg and could not recover in time to compete at either global event.
After some redemption in Cali, she has now set her sights on the World Indoor Championships, to be held in Belgrade on 18-20 March. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61d1a80ea61eb159ed4cc270.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Leyanis Perez competes at the Pan American Junior Games in Cali (&copy; Calixto N Llanes)
 With no family sporting background, Leyanis and her twin sister Lidianis &ndash; a handball player &ndash;&nbsp;have brought sports to the forefront in their family in Pinar del Rio, Cuba&rsquo;s westernmost province.
Discovered by coach Ochandorena during third grade,&nbsp;Perez joined a sports school at the age of 10. A tall athlete (now 1.88m), she trained in both the high jump and triple jump. At the age of 15, she jumped 1.50m and 10.77m respectively in each event and improved to 1.64m and 12.41m the following year. In 2018, she focused more on the triple jump and a massive improvement to 13.36m in that event opened the doors to the national U20 team.
Under coach Ricardo Ponce&rsquo;s guidance, she joined the 14-metre club by leaping 14.13m in her first official competition of 2019. She ended the season with a silver medal at the Pan American U20 Championships in Costa Rica, her first international experience.
&ldquo;The results did not come out as expected, but I enjoyed the experience and seeing athletes from all over the Americas,&rdquo; she recalled.
As the Covid-19 pandemic hit early in 2020, she had already improved to 14.15m, but that would be it as she returned home and tried to stay active in her native Pinar del Rio.
&ldquo;It was a tough year for everyone, but I remained patient," she said.&nbsp;&ldquo;I would go to the track occasionally when we were allowed and did some conditioning to keep some form.&rdquo;
Despite some setbacks in 2021, Perez looks optimistically towards her debut on the global stage.
&ldquo;I competed in Cali with a nine-step run-up. My full run-up is 15 steps," she explained. "I consider myself as a fast jumper and there&rsquo;s so much I can improve. I need to strengthen my left leg and improve my run-up. I have full trust in my coach and my ability to continue improving, one step at a time."
Aware of her event's history in Cuba, she is encouraged to maintain her country&rsquo;s tradition in the women&rsquo;s triple jump on the global scene. &ldquo;I have watched videos of Yargelis Savigne&nbsp;(the two-time world champion) and Mabel Gay&nbsp;(2009 world silver medallist), plus Pedro Pichardo&nbsp;(Olympic champion). Mabel, now a coach, is tall like me and has given me good advice,&rdquo; she added.
Her coach, Ponce, also has some words of praise. &ldquo;She has the rare talent of being tall, fast and well-coordinated," he said. "She has huge potential, and we will guide her through her physical and mental growth.&rdquo;
Among others, Ponce led Yoandri Betanzos to five world medals.
Off the track, the first year physical education student enjoys tropical music and considers herself a good dancer. On it, she has a bigger dream: to become an Olympic champion.
&ldquo;Watching the Olympic final live at the Tokyo Stadium was a huge motivation for me," she said. "I want to become Olympic champion and I will go step by step to reach my goals.
"I have had many defeats in my career, and I have bounced back. I will continue to perform at my best and continue to bring joy to the Cuban people."
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics

After her Pan American Junior Games success, Leyanis Perez now targets bigger goals.

Rising triple jump talent Perez turns Tokyo disappointment into major motivation

A look back at the key moments of 2021 in the jumping events

2021 review: jumps

We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Yulimar Rojas</h2>
Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas earned the World Female Athlete of the Year award in 2020 off the back of a world indoor record and an undefeated year. But her achievements in 2021 have been even better, by far outweighing anything she has accomplished in previous seasons.
She opted not to compete indoors this year and instead opened her campaign in May, leaping to a world-leading 15.14m in Ibiza. In her next competition, she bounded out to 15.43m to equal her outright personal best, matching the distance of her world indoor record from 2020.
After winning at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha with 15.15m, Rojas contested the long jump at a low-key meeting in La Nucia. She produced two wind-assisted leaps beyond seven metres, including a best of 7.27m (2.7m/s) &ndash; the farthest leap in the world in 2021 under any conditions &ndash; and a wind-legal PB of 6.88m, breaking the Venezuelan record. 
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 Rojas returned to her main event one week later, winning in Madrid with a wind-assisted 15.34m and backing it up with a wind-legal 15.19m. She maintained her consistent 15-metre form at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, her final pre-Olympic outing, where she produced the top mark of the day with 15.12m.
But she timed her peak to perfection and hit her best form at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. She opened her account in the final with an Olympic record of 15.41m to take an early lead, then followed it with 14.53m and a foul before a 15.25m leap in the fourth round. After one more foul in round five, she regained her composure for her final leap and sailed out to a stunning 15.67m, smashing the long-standing world record by 17 centimetres.
&ldquo;I am lost for words; I can&rsquo;t describe this feeling and this moment,&rdquo; said Rojas, whose phases on her record-breaking jump were 5.86m, 3.82m and 5.99m. &ldquo;Gold medal winner, with an Olympic record, and a world record ... Wow!
&ldquo;I was focused on giving my best, enjoying myself, and it came out,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;It makes me happy. I have to enjoy it now, and live the experience.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6106cbcc825c977117289d46.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Her incredible form continued after the Olympics and she won at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Lausanne with a wind-assisted 15.56m and a wind-legal Diamond League record of 15.52m &ndash; the second and third-best leaps in history in any conditions. She capped her remarkable season with victory at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, sailing out to 15.48m.
Rojas was the top performer in all nine of her competitions in 2021, leaping beyond 15 metres in all eight of her triple jump contests. She now owns five of the top six jumps in history in any conditions, all of which she produced this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Eliud Kipchoge</h2>
When it comes to assessing an athlete&rsquo;s supremacy over one season, marathon runners are usually at a slight disadvantage as most of them are only able to contest a small handful of races within a 12-month period.
But it&rsquo;s also worth bearing in mind that marathon fields are much larger &ndash; and therefore more competitive &ndash; than those for most track and field disciplines. And the length of the race means there&rsquo;s more opportunity for things to go wrong.
So when an athlete like Eliud Kipchoge produces two stunning performances over the classic distance within one year, it can count for a lot.
The world record-holder contested two marathons in 2021. His first was in Enschede at the NN Mission Marathon event, a race created to provide an opportunity to athletes seeking a qualifying performance for the Olympic Games. As such, it attracted a high-quality international field. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/607bfab874599939961ad803.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Kipchoge&rsquo;s place on Kenya&rsquo;s Olympic team had already been confirmed, but he was keen for a competitive run-out ahead of the Games. He ran as part of the lead pack through 15km (43:46) and half way (1:01:43), and then had just two pacemakers for company by the time he reached 30km (1:28:10). Shortly after, with 1:35 on the clock, Kipchoge left his pacemakers behind.
His tempo didn&rsquo;t actually increase in the closing stages, but he maintained his sub-three-minute kilometre pace, which brought him to the finish line in a world-leading 2:04:30, winning by more than two minutes.
&ldquo;Mission accomplished,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;The conditions were really good, a bit windy, but I had no complaints. The race was perfect.&rdquo;
Four months later, Kipchoge lined up in Sapporo for the Olympic marathon alongside 105 of the world&rsquo;s best distance runners as he looked to become just the third man in history to win back-to-back titles over the distance. 
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 In Rio, when he won his first Olympic title, Kipchoge waited until the 36th kilometre to break away. In Sapporo, his decisive move came in the 31st. By the 38th, the Kenyan more closely resembled a solitary figure out on a morning training run than a man leading the Olympic marathon. He'd built a lead of more than one minute by that point, with no other runner within view.
Despite the tough conditions, Kipchoge won in 2:08:38, six seconds quicker than his Rio victory and the fifth-fastest run in Olympic history. His winning margin of 1:20 was the biggest in an Olympic men&rsquo;s marathon since Frank Shorter's win in 1972.
&ldquo;I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;I hope this helps to inspire the next generation.&rdquo;

We take a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have been confirmed as finalists for Athlete of the Year.

Focus on finalists: Yulimar Rojas and Eliud Kipchoge

Women&rsquo;s world triple jump record 15.67m Yulimar Rojas (VEN) Tokyo 1 August 2021 Men&rsquo;s world 400m hurdles record 45.94 Karsten Warholm (NOR) Tokyo 3 August 2021 Women&rsquo;s world 400m hurdles record 51.46 Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Tokyo 4 August 2021 The world records set by Yulimar Rojas, Karsten Warholm and Sydney McLaughlin to win their Olympic gold medals in Tokyo have been ratified.
History was made in the women&rsquo;s triple jump, men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles and women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles over the course of four days in Japan&rsquo;s capital city as Venezuela&rsquo;s Rojas, Norway&rsquo;s Warholm and the USA&rsquo;s McLaughlin each took their events to another level.
First came Rojas&rsquo; record leap on 1 August. Soaring out to an incredible 15.67m, the 25-year-old secured Venezuela&rsquo;s first Olympic title in athletics.
The two-time world champion had opened her campaign with an Olympic triple jump record of 15.41m and by the time she lined up for her final effort, Rojas&rsquo; victory was guaranteed. With her last attempt, she sailed even further to add 17 centimetres to the previous world record that had been set by Ukraine&rsquo;s Inessa Kravets on 10 August 1995 at the World Championships in Gothenburg.
&ldquo;I am lost for words; I can&rsquo;t describe this feeling and this moment,&rdquo; Rojas said. &ldquo;Gold medal winner, with an Olympic record, and a world record ... Wow. It is a fantastic night.&rdquo;
Two days later it was Warholm&rsquo;s turn as he smashed the 400m hurdles world record in 45.94 to win one of the most highly anticipated showdowns of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Leading the highest quality men's 400m hurdles race in history, the 25-year-old took gold ahead of the USA's Rai Benjamin, whose 46.17 for silver also beat the previous world record of 46.70 which had been set by Warholm in Oslo on 1 July. Brazil&rsquo;s Alison dos Santos took bronze in 46.72, a time inside the world record that had belonged to Kevin Young from 1992 until that day in Norway at the start of July.
&ldquo;It's so crazy,&rdquo; Warholm said. &ldquo;This is by far the biggest moment of my life.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was so focused on getting that last medal in my collection and now it&rsquo;s all complete,&rdquo; the two-time world champion added. &ldquo;I need to set myself new goals, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m done yet.&rdquo;
The following day McLaughlin also improved her own world 400m hurdles record, storming to gold in 51.46 as her US teammate Dalilah Muhammad finished second in 51.58, also well inside McLaughlin&rsquo;s previous world record of 51.90 set at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene on 27 June. Femke Bol of the Netherlands was third in 52.03, a mark faster than the world record Muhammad had held until McLaughlin broke it earlier in the season.
McLaughlin&rsquo;s 51.46 to lead the deepest women's 400m hurdles race in global championships history is a time which, up until 1970, would have bettered the world record in the 400m flat.
"I saw Dalilah ahead of me with one (hurdle) to go,&rdquo; McLaughlin said. &ldquo;I just thought: 'Run your race'. The race doesn't really start until hurdle seven. I just wanted to go out there and give it everything I had.&rdquo;
World Athletics

The world records set by Yulimar Rojas, Karsten Warholm and Sydney McLaughlin to win their Olympic gold medals in Tokyo have been ratified.

Ratified: world records for Rojas, Warholm and McLaughlin in Tokyo

&ldquo;I thought I would go on to break it again,&rdquo; Jonathan Edwards says of his 18.29m world record leap from the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg. &ldquo;And no, I didn&rsquo;t think it would last this long.&rdquo;
More than 26 years since the Briton bounded out to two world records in the Swedish city, Edwards looked back on his performance and says that it still blows his mind that he accomplished what he did.
From the moment he opened his 1995 season with a 17.58m PB, Edwards knew he was in the form of his life. &ldquo;The big thing about that season is that my technique was outstanding and the balance I had throughout the phases &ndash; which was brought about through me changing my technique and using a double arm action &ndash; gave me a much better position, particularly in the last phase.&rdquo; 
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 Early in the season, he sailed out to a wind-assisted 18.43m (2.4m/s) to win at the European Cup. He followed it with another wind-assisted leap beyond 18 metres (18.03m) in Gateshead and then set a world record of 17.98m in Salamanca.
Between then and the World Championships, he also landed a wind-assisted 18.08m in Sheffield &ndash; all of which only added to the pressure and expectation as he headed to Gothenburg.
&ldquo;Although I'd broken the world record that year already, in my mind had I not won the World Championships, my season would have been regarded as a failure,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;So I felt a huge amount of pressure because I'd never gone into a major championships expected to win. And not just expected to win but to break a world record as well, so I was petrified.
&ldquo;I remember the wind was helpful and I knew the conditions were good. But I was as scared as you like, I thought I was going to mess it up, there was no guarantee I was going to win this thing.
&ldquo;But alongside that feeling of being petrified, there was also a sense that I could jump a massive distance here,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;I'd already jumped that 18.43m wind assisted, and I'd jumped a world record of 17.98m in Salamanca a few weeks beforehand, which was much less than I knew I was capable of. So there was also a real sense of excitement.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/614b266eb774e13f3f72f685.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 He safely advanced to the final after jumping 17.46m in the qualifying round. USA&rsquo;s Mike Conley, who had won the Olympic title three years prior with a jump of 18.17m that was just marginally over the allowable wind speed (2.1m/s), was also in the final, as were Dominica&rsquo;s Jerome Romain, Bermuda&rsquo;s Brian Wellman and Cuban duo Yoel Garcia and Yoelbi Quesada.
&ldquo;With a technical event like the triple jump, when you've got three phases and the take-off, there are lots of things that could go wrong &ndash; no matter how good a form you're in,&rdquo; says Edwards. &ldquo;But in this final, there was no holding back, no 'let's get a safe one in'. It was just run and jump and hope it's good.&rdquo;
His first leap was more than just &lsquo;good&rsquo;. Edwards flew down the runway, took off and then landed beyond the 18-metre mark. It took a few moments before his distance was confirmed at 18.16m, a world record and the first wind-legal jump beyond 18 metres.
&ldquo;It was a celebration but also a huge amount of relief,&rdquo; Edwards remembers of his reaction to that jump. &ldquo;What strikes me now is how fast and flat I was. I had so much speed on the run-up, it took me much more in a horizontal than vertical direction when I took off. People have likened it to skimming stones, and these jumps on that day were very much like that. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/614b2313a350721e50f456fc.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 &ldquo;All I can remember is the feeling of 'I'm not done yet in this competition'. Normally once I'd jump a big distance like that, I'd finish. But I still felt like there was more to do.&rdquo;
About 20 minutes later, Edwards was on the runway again for the second round.
&ldquo;I had a smile on my face and I pointed my finger,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I just wanted to enjoy the jump because I knew I probably wouldn't have another one like it. I actually get quite emotional watching it.&rdquo;
He once again nailed a great jump, this time improving on his opening effort. No sooner had he touched down in the sand than he was out of the pit once more, arms aloft and celebrating, knowing that he had gone farther than before.
There was another wait for the distance, though this time a less anxious one as the pressure was off and Edwards knew he had broken the record. He simply wanted the confirmation. And then it flashed up on the scoreboard: 18.29m.
&ldquo;The moment I knew it was better was during the step because I just had to wait and then put my foot on the ground,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;There's just a brief moment when my front foot feathers a bit because the transfer from the hop to the step was better and I just had to stabilise a bit. As soon as I landed, I knew it was a world record, I knew it was further. That's why I stood up and shrugged my shoulders as if to say 'that's another record'. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/614b22f34801977695649814.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 &ldquo;I still had another 11 centimetres to spare on the board,&rdquo; he adds with a smile. &ldquo;So if someone does ever break my world record, I'll say actually I was 18.40m from take-off to landing.&rdquo;
&ldquo;What I also knew in that instant &ndash; because I'd looked at this beforehand &ndash; is that 18.29m was just over 60 feet. So I'd broken the metric barrier of 18 metres and the imperial barrier of 60 feet. That was the front page of Track &amp; Field News - '60 Feet Goes'.&rdquo;
Satisfied with his opening two efforts, Edwards passed the third and fourth rounds. He took his fifth-round jump, landing at 17.49m, but then passed his final attempt, his victory by this point assured.
&ldquo;There's always been a sense of 'I can't quite believe this has happened to me',&rdquo; says Edwards, who went on to win Olympic gold in 2000 before winning his second world title in 2001. &ldquo;You grow up following your heroes on TV, and if you're lucky enough you may see them in the stadium, and you feel very ordinary yourself. When you're actually doing something that's extraordinary, it's hard to equate the two. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/614b22d61015d2d4f7470c3b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 &ldquo;I almost appreciate it more now than I did at the time. I was in peak form and took it all in my stride. I enjoyed it all and it was fantastic, but I just don't think I appreciated just how amazing it was.
&ldquo;To do something in life and be categorically the best at it, it's mind-blowing to be honest,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;I can't quite believe it happened to me.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Twenty-six years after his record-breaking leap, Jonathan Edwards reflects on his 18.29m