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.

In a training session that is sending ripples through the track and field community, NCAA triple jump champion Jaydon Hibbert, who recently turned 19, displayed remarkable progress by shattering his previous standing triple jump best mark. Coach Travis Geopfert confirmed that Hibbert leaped out to an impressive 10.87m, a significant improvement from his earlier mark of 10.34m set just last year during his freshman year at the University of Arkansas. (See video below)

The half-metre enhancement in his standing triple jump could be a foreshadowing of greater achievements for the Jamaican athlete in this crucial Olympic year. With his world-leading and personal best mark standing at 17.87m, the question looms whether this remarkable training feat could indicate a trend toward surpassing his own records and possibly Johnathan Edwards' world record of 18.29m.

The year 2023 marked a milestone for Hibbert, securing NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles with record-breaking jumps of 17.54m and 17.87m, respectively—both ratified as World U20 records. Despite these triumphs, his World Athletics Championships campaign in Budapest was marred by a hamstring injury during the final, cutting his participation short after an impressive preliminary round performance.

Capping off an outstanding year, Hibbert clinched the prestigious Bowerman Award in December, becoming the first Jamaican and the youngest collegiate athlete ever to receive this accolade.

While the Jamaican athlete's recent training feat raises expectations for the upcoming season, Coach Travis Geopfert remains cautious about making predictions. Geopfert acknowledged Hibbert's improvement, stating, “It's almost, I think exactly half-a-metre farther... I think it's a direct correlation to his power more than anything else."

Geopfert emphasized Hibbert's commitment to strength training, noting a substantial increase in his performance, revealing that the Razorback sophomore has added 30lbs to his power clean. However, he remained guarded about predicting specific improvements in Hibbert's full jump, stating, "As far as how it equates to the full jump, it's all relative. Being stronger with the same body weight as last year and he's faster, those are two those are two positive things (but) to give you an exact indicator of how much farther you can jump, that, I don't know.”

The coach hinted at the possibility of surpassing last season's 17.87m personal best but underscored the team's strategic approach to Hibbert's training this year. "He's in better shape than last year, but we're also taking things a little bit slower, putting a little bit more emphasis on strength a little bit longer into the season because last year ended late. So we gave him a rest and started a little bit later this year."

As Jaydon Hibbert prepares for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, the athletics world eagerly anticipates whether this training benchmark is a precursor to more record-breaking feats in the triple jump arena.

Though disheartened by the manner in which Jaydon Hibbert’s debut showing at the World Athletic Championships ended, coach Travis Geopfert believes the minor setback is merely setting up his young charge for a major comeback next season.

Geopfert, like many Jamaicans and track and field enthusiasts at large, had high expectations about the gold medal prospects of the exciting triple jumper, who entered the Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a world leading mark of 17.87m. Those expectations would have peaked when Hibbert topped the qualifiers in Saturday's first round with 17.70m.

However, Hibbert’s first appearance on the global stage ended in disappointment, as he suffered a right hamstring injury on his first attempt in Monday’s final and wasn't able to continue competing.

Geopfert, who works with Hibbert at the University of Arkansas, confirmed the injury as a Grade one hamstring strain. He pointed out that they have already started treatment and, by extension, processing the way forward, as he maintains a bright outlook for the 18-year-old.

“There is obviously a bright future ahead, I think one thing right now is that we have to make sure we do the right thing (going forward). We got the image last night, there is a small amount of swelling, but it is not a major injury which is a good thing. He is going to get treatment today; we have great medical support that is here, so we will do the things necessary to make sure that the healing process starts correctly,” Geopfert told journalists during a virtual press conference.

He continued: “The other thing that we are going to try to do is troubleshoot. There was no indication that there was going to be an issue yesterday (Monday), he was moving well, warm up was great, no cramping, no issue at all. So, what we need to do is go back and assess to get information, we need to do a sweat test to see how he sweats and what electrolytes and nutrients are being lost in his sweat so we can get some answers.

“We need to do some labs in terms of blood work and see if there are any deficiencies that we are missing…we often do labs, but we need to do it post exercise to see if there are any calcium deficiencies. From there we will then build for next year with a better plan in place to ensure that he continues to train and stays healthy and then we look for more exciting things through the NCAA season and into the Olympics.

Reflecting on the buildup to the final, Geopfert believes Hibbert’s warm-up alone, was a good indicator that he was very much on course to land what would have been a sensational gold medal, but for the heart-wrenching injury.

“His warmup was phenomenal…it (the gold medal) was very much on, I was excited as I thought the first attempt was going to be a monster jump, so this (injury) was out of the blue, this was not something that we never anticipated in any way at all,” Geopfert explained.

“When he came back, he said that the hamstring grabbed and so we were hoping for the best and that it was a cramp, so we went through what we needed to try to get it to release but there is only so much medical attention that is allowed at the moment in the stadium so there was very little that could really be done.

“He was trying to get ready to take the second jump, I was keeping an eye on whether he would have jumped out of order, but in a final you can’t jump out of order everything stays in order and then it became obvious that he couldn’t take the second jump,” he added.

While waiting for the jump cycle to come back around, Geopfert said he advised Hibbert to test the hamstring before going on the runway, but after being told that there is still a slight pain, the decision was taken to forgo the third jump as well.

“I tell athletes all the time that we can’t make emotional decisions, we have to deal with the information we have and make educated decisions. I understand being in the moment, but I also grasp a bigger picture for this young man, and I feel a sense of responsibility for him to always keep the bigger picture in mind,” the coach noted.

“So, I believe fully that it was the right call for him to skip that third jump, it wasn’t easy, but it was the right decision for him long term.  It wasn’t until after that the emotions hit me personally and it was tough, but the kid is tough, and he is handling it extremely well. I am proud of him for a lot of reasons, not just for the results but about his growth and how he handled the moment and how he communicated so effectively in that difficult moment,” Geopfert reasoned.

On that note, Geopfert recollected the remarkable season Hibbert enjoyed leading up to the championships and declared it an extreme positive to build on after recovery.

During his debut season for Arkansas, Hibbert yielded numerous records. He won the NCAA indoor triple jump with a first attempt jump of 17.54m, a feat that earned him the World Athletics moment of the month award for March.

Additionally, he was named the SEC Indoor Freshman Field Athlete of the Year in the same month.

His mark surpassed the indoor Under-20 record of 17.20m set by Melvin Raffin of France in 2017, as well as the outdoor Under-20 standard of 17.50m set by Germany's Volker Mai in 1985.

Heading into the SEC Outdoors, the World Under-20 champion was unbeaten in three indoor competitions and two outdoor competitions. In Baton Rouge, he surpassed his opening leap of 17.02m with an impressive jump of 17.87m, setting a new world Under-20 record.

“It has been an unbelievable year for Jaydon, as a freshman, the transition to university in a new setting, he just did an unbelievably good job and then you look at the results that he had through the year and the records that he set, the World Under-20 records, indoor and outdoor, the NCAA records he set…just an unbelievable year across the board,” Geopfert beamed.

“Just watching him grow in terms of his maturity and how he handles things in both good times and bad, it’s been amazing, and I think it’s just been a great year overall. I am just extremely proud of him and the way he navigated it all extremely well and I am excited for the future because of that,” the Razorbacks coach ended.

Coach Travis Geopfert of the University of Arkansas had every reason to be elated as his star jumpers, Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod, delivered outstanding performances at Jamaica's national championships on Saturday. Pinnock secured a remarkable victory with a leap of 8.32m, while McLeod claimed the third spot on the podium with a commendable mark of 8.20m. Both athletes showcased their exceptional talent and skills before their home crowd.

In a post-competition interview, Coach Geopfert expressed his satisfaction with the overall performance of his athletes. He acknowledged the challenging conditions caused by swirling winds but commended McLeod's ability to adapt and make adjustments to his approach, resulting in a solid jump.

"I was happy the way Carey worked on the transition of his approach and got a decent jump in at the end because it was a little all over the place," Geopfert shared.

"Turning his attention to Pinnock, Coach Geopfert couldn't contain his pride and admiration for the athlete's consistent excellence.

"I've been coaching for a long time, and I've never seen a 27-foot jump (8.23m) into a minus-two wind. I'm telling you, he's a special kid and really coachable," Geopfert remarked, highlighting Pinnock's exceptional abilities.

As both Pinnock and McLeod continue to impress with their performances, Coach Geopfert emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between training and competition as they approach the World Championships in Budapest in August.

"If there's a good opportunity (to compete) half-way in between, we'll do something, you know? If there's not, I'm not going to force it. We'll try to mimic stuff in practice. I think we do a really good job of that," Geopfert explained.

Looking beyond the national championships, Coach Geopfert shared his aspirations for Pinnock and McLeod as they prepare for the upcoming World Championships. He emphasized that their participation in the national championships was merely a stepping stone towards their ultimate goal of winning medals on the global stage.

 Jaydon Hibbert, the reigning NCAA Indoor and Outdoor triple jump champion, is set to showcase his extended run-up of 14 steps on Sunday, July 9, the final day of the highly anticipated Jamaican National Championships this weekend.

After a remarkable season that saw him shatter records, the 18-year-old Hibbert is now determined to fine-tune his technique and timing before the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month.

Hibbert, who previously achieved extraordinary results using a 12-step run-up, stunned the athletics world with his extraordinary performances. The young talent leaped to a record-breaking NCAA Indoor distance of 17.54m, setting a new world under-20 indoor record in the process. He continued his dominance by achieving a world-leading distance of 17.87m, which also secured him the world under-20 and Jamaican national under-20 records. His exceptional achievements led to him being named NCAA Field Event Athlete of the Year and SEC Field Event Athlete of the Year.

Heading into the national championships, Jaydon Hibbert's coach, Travis Geopfert, spoke about the transition to a longer run-up. Geopfert emphasized that the focus would be on perfecting Hibbert's rhythm and timing, rather than aiming for immediate spectacular results. The coach expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far and highlighted the importance of competition experience in fine-tuning the new technique.

On a recent Zoom call, Geopfert explained, "You can expect him to work on his rhythm and timing. That's what you can expect. He's excited to give the 14-step approach a try. It's about finding that timing, and this championship provides a great opportunity for that."

When asked about Hibbert's limited number of jumps this year, Geopfert emphasized the calculated decision made to prioritize the athlete's freshness and long-term well-being.

The former Kingston College long jumper executed just 20 of a possible 45 jumps in an unbeaten run during the collegiate season.

 With the triple jump being physically demanding, coupled with Hibbert's age and potential in the long jump, the decision was made to limit his competition appearances.

"We felt it was in his best interest to focus on one event this year. With growth spurts and transitioning into college, it was crucial to manage his workload and reduce the risk of injuries. Jaden has been incredibly coachable and executed the plan with precision," Geopfert said, expressing gratitude for his athlete's commitment.

Looking ahead, Jaydon Hibbert's remarkable performances have placed him in a commanding position as he prepares for the world championships in Budapest. Although his world-leading status remains intact, the competition he faces at the world championships – assuming her qualifies - will feature athletes who possess the potential to challenge his marks.

That has not been a concern for the coach, who also conditions Hibbert’s compatriots, long jumpers Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod.

“We haven’t talked specifically about that. We talked about execution of what he’s trying to do,” Geopfert said. “You cant control what other people are going to do and he’s off the mindset to just go out there and compete.

“I mean that is what makes these athletes great. All these athletes that we’re coaching, they’re elite and they not only have talent but they have the ability to compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand. That’s the only way you really become elite.”

Julien Alfred, Ackelia Smith and Jaydon Hibbert capped their respective impressive seasons with regional awards for the 2023 NCAA Division I Track and Field season announced by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Jamaican-born Mark Elliott was named Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year.

Alfred, who hails from St Lucia, the South Central Region Female Track Athlete of the Year, capped a record-breaking, undefeated season at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she won the 100, 200 and led off the winning 4×100 relay.

Her wind-aided mark in the 100-meter final of 10.72 equaled the fastest all-conditions effort in collegiate history, while her wind-aided mark in the 200 of 21.73 is the fastest all-conditions time in collegiate history. Alfred ran the opening leg of a Texas 4×100 relay that obliterated the collegiate record twice this season, ultimately to 41.55 in Austin.

Smith, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, is the South Central Female Field Athlete of the Year. She won the long jump and finished runner-up in the triple jump at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Her mark in the triple jump of 14.54m made her the third-best performer in collegiate history. Smith made waves at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, too, when she soared 7.08m in the long jump to become the second-best performer in collegiate history behind Tara Davis. 

Hibbert, who won more than a handful of awards in this is freshman year, was the co-South Central Region Field Athlete of the Year.

Hibbert, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, capped an undefeated season in the triple jump with a victory at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He bounded 17.56m to record the fourth-farthest mark in collegiate history.

That was his second-best effort of the season, because earlier at the SEC Outdoor Championships, he shattered the collegiate record – and set an all-time World U20 outdoor best – with his majestic 17.87m, a personal best.

Hibbert’s coach Travis Geopfert, the Associate Head Coach at Arkansas, earns recognition as the Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year in the South Central Region.

Geopfert’s event group played a significant role in Arkansas’ success, scoring 31 of the team’s 53 points, leading them to finish as the NCAA team runner-up.

Notably, Hibbert, a freshman coached by Geopfert, emerged as the SEC Field Athlete of the Year, remaining undefeated in the triple jump and winning the NCAA title by a remarkable two-foot margin. Moreover, Arkansas became only the third school in NCAA history to achieve a 1-2 finish in the long jump, with Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock securing the top two positions.

Geopfert’s coaching expertise also contributed to Arkansas winning the SEC team title, with the team scoring 69 out of 149 points. With 11 years of coaching experience at Arkansas, Travis Geopfert specializes in coaching jumps and combined events.

Elliott, the Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year, in his 10th year as Director of Track & Field at Clemson, led the Tigers to the team title at the ACC Outdoor Championships, winning four events. Clemson was in 10th place the ACC Championships before moving up to win on the final day. His athletes earned six entries to the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, including Giano Roberts, who set a school record of 13.31 in the 110 hurdles.