TRIPLE JUMP AFICIONADOS saw an amazing battle, but oh, what it could have been! The stage for the drama was set during the previous day’s qualifying, when Jamaican wunderkind Jayden Hibbert was the only man to hit the auto-Q, sailing out to 58-1 (17.70) on his second attempt. That was the No. 2 Junior (U20) mark ever. Only three others topped 17m: China’s Yaming Zhu (56-2¾/17.14), Cuba’s Lázaro Martínez and Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango, both at 56-2 (17.12).
Americans Will Claye and Chris Benard got through. USATF champion Donald Scott did not at 53-7 (16.33).
In the final the 18-year-old Hibbert, this year’s NCAA winner for Arkansas, jumped fifth. However, he aborted his first attempt, grabbing the back of his right leg in pain.
“I planted my leg on the board and just felt a cramp in my hamstring,” he said. “I don’t know why it happened because I felt great and ready during warm-up.”
Hibbert passed his second attempt while the medics worked on his leg, and then made the difficult decision to pass his third and last.
“I know I could fight for a medal here,” he said, “but the most important thing is that I gained experience at this level. I need to move on now; focus is on recovery and on next season… I will bounce back.”
At the end of the first round, Zango held the lead with a 57-0 (17.37). In round 2, China’s Yaoqing Fang hit 55-9¾ (17.01) to put a claim on 2nd. His teammate Zhu then went 56-2 (17.12) to take him down a notch. They both were demoted when Martínez bounced an impressive 57-1½ (17.41) to take over the lead. Zango, up next, fouled.
Round 3 saw no podium changes, but it did witness the end of Benard’s hopes. He ended up 9th, his 54-6½ (16.62) best from round 2 not good enough to get him three more attempts.
Cristian Nápoles of Cuba put himself into silver position with a 57-1 (17.40) in round 4, as Zango came close to his best at 56-11½ (17.36). That was but a hint of what last year’s silver medalist had in store. On his fifth attempt, he bounded a solid 57-10½ (17.64) to move past the Cubans into the lead. After none of the contenders improved in the final round, the 30-year-old Zango could call himself a gold medalist.
It wasn’t the greatest winning mark ever — in fact, the previous 8 Worlds all featured better, and Hibbert, of course, went farther in qualifying. But a win’s a win.
Said Zango, “Look at my big, big, big smiling mouth. It tells you everything. I had so many difficulties and doubts, I have been struggling a lot. I had to travel a very long way to get this gold medal. I am proud to be the man who keeps his word. I promised to make history and I did it tonight. That is the first gold medal in men’s triple jump, not only for my country, but for Africa as well. I cannot imagine the level of celebration in my country when I go back home but I’m going to start the celebrations in Budapest.”
Silver medalist Martínez might have also been speaking for his bronze medalist teammate Nápoles in saying, “Zango is a very, very good triple jumper, but we’ll work hard to beat him the next year, and maybe beat [Jonathan] Edwards’ World Record too.”
MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (August 21)
(winds ranged from +0.3 to –0.7)
1. Hugues Fabrice Zango (BF) 57-10½ (17.64)
(57-0, f, 56-8½, 56-11½, 57-10½, f) (17.37, f, 17.28, 17.36, 17.64, f);
2. Lázaro Martínez (Cub) 57-1½ (17.41)
(f, 57-1½, 54-3¾, f, f, 55-2¾) (f, 17.41, 16.55, f, f, 16.83);
3. Cristian Nápoles (Cub) 57-1 (17.40) PR
(f, 55-10¼, f, 57-1 PR, f, f) (f, 17.02, f, 17.40 PR, f, f);
4. Yaming Zhu (Chn) 56-3¼ (17.15)
(f, 56-2, 54-2¾, f, 56-0, 56-3¼) (f, 17.12, 16.53, f, 17.07, 17.15);
5. Yasser Triki (Alg) 55-9¾ (17.01)
(55-7¾, 55-8½, 55-9¾, f, 54-6¾, f) (16.96, 16.98, 17.01, f, 16.63, f);
6. Yaoqing Fang (Chn) 55-9¾ (17.01)
(55-5, 55-9¾, 54-4, f, p, 51-2¾) (16.89, 17.01, 16.56, f, p, 15.61);
7. Will Claye (US) 55-9 (16.99)
(54-10, 55-9, f, f, 55-5, f) (16.71, 16.99, f, f, 16.89, f);
8. Emmanuel Ihemeje (Ita) 55-5¾ (16.91)
(53-4½, 55-3, f, 55-5¾, 54-11¼, 54-4) (16.27, 16.84, f, 16.91, 16.74, 16.56);
9. Chris Benard (US) 54-6½ (16.62)
(53-2¼, 54-6½, 52-7¼) (16.21, 16.62, 16.03);
10. Leodan Torrealba (Ven) 54-4¾ (16.58)
(53-9¼, 53-8¼, 54-4¾) (16.39, 16.36, 16.58);
11. Tiago Pereira (Por) 53-4¼ (16.26)
(53-4¼, f, f) (16.26, f, f);
… nm(f, p, p)—Jaydon Hibbert (Jam).
| * = progression of the leading jump; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Ihemeje | 16.27* | 16.84 | f |
| Torrealba | 16.39* | 16.36 | 16.58¶ |
| Claye | 16.71* | 16.99¶ | f |
| Pereira | 16.26¶ | f | f |
| Hibbert | f | – | – |
| Martínez | f | 17.41*¶ | 16.55 |
| Zango | 17.37* | f | 17.28 |
| Zhu | f | 17.12 | 16.53 |
| Benard | 16.21 | 16.62¶ | 16.03 |
| Fang | 16.89 | 17.01¶ | 16.56 |
| Nápoles | f | 17.02 | f |
| Triki | 16.96 | 16.98 | 17.01¶ |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Ihemeje | 16.91¶ | 16.74 | |
| Claye | f | 16.89 | |
| Triki | f | 16.63 | |
| Fang | f | p | |
| Nápoles | 17.40¶ | f | |
| Zhu | f | 17.07 | |
| Zango | 17.36 | 17.64*¶ | |
| Martínez | f | f | |
| last round | |||
| Ihemeje | 16.56 | ||
| Claye | f | ||
| Fang | 15.61 | ||
| Triki | f | ||
| Nápoles | f | ||
| Zhu | 17.15¶ | ||
| Martínez | 16.83 | ||
| Zango | f | ||
QUALIFYING (August 19)
(auto-qualifier 56-3¼/17.15)
Qualifiers:
Hibbert 58-1 (17.70) (x, 2 WJ),
Zhu 56-2¾ (17.14), Martínez 56-2 (17.12), Zango, Nápoles & Triki 55-7½ (16.95), Ihemeje 55-5¾ (16.91), Fang 55-2¾ (16.83), Pereira 55-¼ (16.77), Claye & Torrealba 54-10¼ (16.72), Benard 54-10 (16.71);
Non-Qualifiers: Tobia Bocchi (Ita) 54-8 (16.66), Jean-Marc Pontvianne (Fra) 54-7¼ (16.64), Abdulla Narangolintevida (Ind) 54-6 (16.61), Necati Er (Tur) 54-5¼ (16.59), Wen Su (Chn) 54-5¼ (16.59), Max Heß (Ger) 54-1 (16.48), Hikaru Ikehata (Jpn) 53-9¾ (16.40), Praveen Chithravel (Ind) 53-9 (16.38), Almir dos Santos (Bra) 53-7½ (16.34), Donald Scott (US) 53-7 (16.33), Dimítrios Tsiámis (Gre) 53-2¾ (16.22), Jang-Woo Kim (SK) 53-2¼ (16.21), Enzo Hodebar (Fra) 53-¾ (16.17), Aaro Davidila (Fin) 51-10½ (15.81), Nikólaos Andrikópoulos (Gre) 51-9 (15.77), Luis Reyes (Chl) 51-8¼ (15.75), Eldhose Paul (Ind) 51-1¾ (15.59), Dániel Szenderffy (Hun) 50-5½ (15.38), Andréas Pantazís (Gre) 48-1¾ (14.67);… 3f—Julian Konle (Aus);… nm—Geiner Moreno (Col), Alexis Copello (Aze), Jah-Nhai Perinchief (Ber);… dnc—Pedro Pichardo (Por).
