Jamaican long jump sensation Wayne Pinnock, fresh off his silver medal win at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, is gearing up for the Olympic Games in Paris with a resolute determination to secure the coveted gold medal.
Pinnock, a two-time NCAA champion from the University of Arkansas, narrowly missed out on the gold in Budapest despite an impressive world-leading leap of 8.54m in the preliminary round and another outstanding jump of 8.50m in the final. Greek athlete Miltiádis Tentóglou clinched the gold with a mark of 8.52m on the final jump of the competition.
Undeterred by the near miss, Pinnock is channeling his energy into becoming Jamaica's first-ever Olympic long jump gold medallist. The 25-year-old athlete has been diligently working with his coach, Travis Geopfert, focusing on technical aspects and sprinting improvements.
“In practice me and (coach Travis Geopfert) we are working on some, you know, technical stuff, and coming from last season to this season I have seen numerous improvements with my sprinting, and I am 25 per cent stronger. So we keep on working. And I told him that ‘you know coach, like something special coming this year for sure, and we just going to go for it,’” said Pinnock.
With a combination of patience, humility, and faith, Pinnock believes that the right time for his extraordinary performance is approaching. Reflecting on his experience in Budapest, where Tentóglou's final jump snatched the gold from his grasp, Pinnock acknowledges the Greek athlete's skill but is determined to claim victory in Paris.
“I knew he would have jumped far based on his first six pushes out of the back of his approach. When I saw it, I was like, yes, that's the one. So I saw him take off the board and I was like, yeah, that was a solid jump. But I never expected, expected to be that far. But he's a competitor, he's an Olympic champion and you got to pay a little respect; but you know for sure, I'm coming.”
The setback in Budapest has only fueled Pinnock's desire to improve further. He plans to get back to the drawing board, working hard, and coming back stronger for the Olympics. Training has been rigorous, but Pinnock is unwavering in his dedication to greatness.
"Honestly, I’ll just get back to the drawing board. Keep on working hard and come again for Olympics. Training has been going good, and also it's been very gruesome; it's been hard. I just been putting in the work. I'm in the gym doing my own stuff, that makes you great, and I'm gonna continue doing what I'm doing,” affirmed Pinnock.
The talented long jumper anticipates his return to competitive action sometime in February, setting the stage for what he believes will be a spectacular and victorious performance at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce parts ways with Coach Walcott, to battle on in 2025 with new team
Five-time 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is set to continue her illustrious track career for yet another season, despite facing significant injury challenges throughout 2024.
However, the sprinting legend will reportedly do so under new guidance. Sportsmax.TV understands that Fraser-Pryce will be leaving Reynaldo Walcott, the coach she helped establish at Elite Performance Track Club.
Fraser-Pryce, who has been hampered by a persistent knee injury over the past few seasons, made the decision to move on after a reportedly frosty relationship developed between her and Walcott during the 2024 season. Calls and a Whatsapp message to Coach Walcott went unanswered.
Though her next coaching destination remains unclear, Sportsmax understands that the two-time Olympic 100m gold medalist has moved to put together a team to guide her through the upcoming season.
The name of Andre Wellington has surfaced as the person who will be among Fraser-Pryce’s new coaching outfit. Wellington has coached World U20 100m silver medalist Bouwahghie Nkrumie at Kingston College (KC). He was a member of the Racers Track Club between 2011 and 2012.
Fraser-Pryce had been a founding member of Elite Performance Track Club, partnering with Walcott in early 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his guidance, The 37-year-old sprint queen achieved remarkable success, notably lowering her personal best from 10.70 to 10.60 seconds. In 2022, she became the first woman to run sub-10.7 seconds on seven occasions in a single season and secured her fifth 100m world title in Eugene, Oregon.
However, since that stellar 2022 season, injuries have taken their toll on the Jamaican icon. In 2023, at the World Championships in Budapest, Fraser-Pryce finished third in the 100m, a notable drop from her dominant form the previous year. Her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics was further curtailed, as she withdrew from the semi-finals for reasons that remain undisclosed.
Fraser-Pryce’s decision to continue competing, despite these setbacks, underscores her determination to finish her career on her own terms.
As the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic 100m title in Beijing 2008, she has remained a dominant force in global athletics for over a decade. Now, with a fresh team in her corner, the sprinting icon is focused on overcoming the injuries that have plagued her and making yet another remarkable run in 2025.
The news, if confirmed, followed a recent development this wherein Olympic 110m bronze medalist Rasheed Broadbell has also left Elite Performance for the MVP Track Club.
STATHS Class of 1978 and Friends to spotlight school's sports legends in webathon for new medical and counselling centre
The St. Andrew Technical High School graduating class of 1978, along with friends, are joining forces to stage a web-a-thon aimed at raising funds for the construction of a state-of-the-art Medical Counselling and Intervention Centre at the Kingston-based school. The initiative, led by sports agent Claude Bryan as chairman of the project, is a vital step in modernizing the school's outdated sick bay and providing essential health and counselling services for its students.
Operating under the banner STATHS 78 and Friends Incorporated, the group consists of graduates from 1978 and non-78 graduates who have come together with a shared goal of improving the school's infrastructure. The primary objective is to replace the existing sick bay, which has remained unchanged since the school's inception, with a modern facility that meets 21st-century standards, including incorporating green technology like solar energy.
“The reason behind it is that the sick bay that was there, I was told, has been the same since the school started. It’s still the same dimensions with only limited bed space, so we wanted to do something that would benefit the entire student body,” said Bryan.
To kick off their fundraising efforts, the group will host a three-hour webathon on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 6-9 pm. The event will take on a sporting flavor, highlighting the lives and achievements of 16 sporting legends who attended STATHS. Among these legends are the late Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Richard "Danny Germs" Austin, Olympian Mike Fray, and Reggae Boy Jeadine White. In addition to the tributes, there will also be musical performances throughout the evening.
Bryan emphasized the importance of the event, encouraging people to tune in and support the cause. “It’s our first major fundraising thrust, and we’re encouraging folks to call in or log in, listen, learn, and support the event.”
Supporters can participate in the event by logging in at https://givebutter.com/Z3RPbW. The funds raised will help bring the much-needed medical, counselling, and intervention centre to life, ensuring that future generations of students at St. Andrew High School benefit from improved health and well-being services.
With the backing of STATHS 78 and Friends Incorporated, the school community is hopeful that this initiative will be the first of many steps in ensuring that their students are provided with the best possible care in a modern, sustainable facility.
Olympic silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith ties knot with partner Antonia Tyson
British sprinter Matthew Hudson-Smith tied the knot with partner Antonia Tyson in Birmingham over the weekend.
Hudson-Smith and Tyson, a health care worker, got engaged back in 2023.
Guests at the weekend’s festivities included six-time World champion Noah Lyles, World Championship relay medallist and girlfriend of Lyles, Junelle Bromfield, 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, former World U-20 100m champion Adam Gemili and World and Olympic heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
The 29-year-old Hudson-Smith set a British record 43.44 to take 400m silver at the Paris Olympics in August behind American Quincy Hall.
This came a year after Hudson-Smith won silver at the World Championships in Budapest behind Jamaican Antonio Watson.
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