WITH THE OLYMPIC qualifying standard, 27-5½ (8.37), unmet by any entrant, yet several projecting as likely qualifiers via the WA rankings, prospects for a field marked by a good deal of near-parity were difficult to assess. Certainly the first name to trip off the lips in any discussion was not Jeremiah Davis, the Florida State senior who ultimately leapt to victory.
Qualifying was led by USC’s Johnny Brackins, who jumped 26-4¼ (8.03), and he was matched by Will Williams, whose jump was a seasonal best. Missing out was NCAA winner JC Stevenson, who had 3 fouls. Previous Olympians making the final were Marquis Dendy and Steffin McCarter from ’21 and Jarrion Lawson from ’16. In all, 8 jumped 26 feet, and the cutoff was 25-7¼ (7.80).
The final started slowly, with no 8-meter (26-3) jumps until Brackins, jumping ninth, reached 26-9 (8.15), and was immediately followed by Lawson with 26-3¾ (8.02). They were joined in the next round by the final two jumpers — Davis, who cleared 26-10 (8.18) and Cameron Crump. The 26-6¼ (8.08) by Mississippi State alum Crump was his longest since the ’23 NCAA Indoor and, as it turned out, his best of the day. McCarter, looking for his second Olympic selection, opened round 3 by matching Crump’s 26-6¼, and Brackins and Davis both improved — Brackins to 26-9¾ (8.17), and Davis to 26-11 (8.20), which would turn out to be the winning jump.
At the other end of the spectrum ’23 USA champ Dendy, expected to be in the top-3, could not get his run-up right, and had just one fair jump — taking off behind the board in the third round to reach only 25-0 (7.62). Five were over 8m through the first 3 rounds, with erstwhile Long Beach State jumper Jason Smith the last qualifier for three further jumps with his 25-9¾ (7.87).
Only McCarter was beyond 8 meters in round 4, improving slightly to 26-7 (8.10). Isaac Grimes improved to 26-5½ (8.06) and Florida junior Malcolm Clemons took the number over 8m to 7 with his 26-5 (8.05) in round 5. Grimes briefly moved into 3rd with his last-round 26-7¼ (8.11), and Clemons then struck with 26-10 (8.18) to move into 2nd. Brackins, now in 3rd, took off well behind the board on his final jump of 24-8½, and then lost his top 3 position to Lawson’s 26-10 (8.18) — a jump he’d only once exceeded in the previous 6 years.
(Of the top 3 only Lawson was WA-ranked in the top-dozen, yet WA’s rankings update after the Q window closed on June 30 positioned the full threesome, Davis, Clemons and Lawson as eligible to jump in Paris.)
Davis, 2nd at the NCAA both indoors and out, credited the guidance of Seminole jumps assistant Leevan Sands, a triple jump bronze medalist for the Bahamas at the ’03 Worlds and ’08 Olympics, after he had won. “I got a perfect mentor in Leevan Sands. He taught me in practice, go for it, trust myself and trust my training — and trust the energy that’s given from the fans and just go out there and produce and just have fun.”
MEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (June 24; winds ranged from +3.4 to –2.5)
1. Jeremiah Davis (FlSt) 26-11 (8.20) PR
(25-11w, 26-10, 26-11, f, 26-3, f) (7.90w, 8.18, 8.20, f, 8.00, f);
2. Malcolm Clemons (Fl) 26-10 (8.18)
(25-10¾, 25-8¼, 25-8, 25-8¾, 26-5, 26-10) (7.89, 7.83, 7.82, 7.84, 8.05, 8.18);
3. Jarrion Lawson (Puma) 26-10 (8.18)
(26-3¾, 25-8, 25-7½, 25-7¼w, f, 26-10) (8.02, 7.82, 7.81, 7.80w, f, 8.18);
4. Johnny Brackins (USC) 26-9¾ (8.17) PR
(26-9, 25-6¾, 26-9¾, 25-9¼, f, 24-8½) (8.15, 7.79, 8.17, 7.85, f, 7.53);
5. Isaac Grimes (TS) 26-7¼ (8.11) PR
(26-1½, 26-¼, 26-0, f, 26-5½, 26-7¼) (7.96, 7.93, 7.92, f, 8.06, 8.11);
6. Steffin McCarter (Nike) 26-7 (8.10)
(25-4, 25-9½, 26-6¼, 26-7, f, f) (7.72, 7.86, 8.08, 8.10, f, f);
7. Cameron Crump (unat) 26-6¼ (8.08) PR
(25-2¾, 26-6¼, 26-5, 25-10¼, f, 26-1) (7.69, 8.08, 8.05, 7.88, f, 7.95);
8. Jason Smith (unat) 25-10 (7.87)
(25-9¼, 25-6¼, 25-10, f, 24-6¼, 25-7½) (7.85, 7.78, 7.87, f, 7.47, 7.81);
9. Will Williams (unat) 25-5½ (7.76); 10. Kemonie Briggs (LeapS) 25-½ (7.63); 11. Marquis Dendy (Puma) 25-0 (7.62); 12. Damarcus Simpson (unat) 24-¾ (7.33).
QUALIFYING (June 22)
Qualifiers: Brackins & Williams 26-4¼ (8.03), Simpson 26-3 (8.00); Grimes, Briggs & Dendy 26-1½ (7.96), Lawson 26-1 (7.95), Smith 26-¾ (7.94), Davis 25-10¼ (7.88), Clemons 25-10 (7.87), McCarter 25-7½ (7.81), Crump 25-7¼ (7.80), Trumaine Jefferson (unat) 25-5½ (7.76);
Non-qualifiers: Cordell Tinch (Nike) & Jalen Seals (unat) 25-4½ (7.73); Prestin Artis (unat) 25-3½ (7.71); Jermel Jones (Azusa) 25-2 (7.67); Caleb Foster (Fl) 25-1¾ (7.66); Sir Jonathan Sims (Az) 25-¾ (7.64); Rayvon Grey (unat) 24-9¼ (7.55); Pierce LaCoste (Az) 24-7¼ (7.50); Kenson Tate (Lam) 24-6½ (7.48); Jathan Belaire (Tx) 24-¼ (7.32);… 3f—JC Stevenson (USC).