World Champs: Gayle out of long jump finals; Pinnock books his spot Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Despite his best efforts to get in shape, Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, the defending long jump World Champion, was unable to get over the injury he sustained at the national trials in June and failed to advance to the finals of the event.

Gayle’s title defence came to an abrupt end on Friday after he committed three fouls in the qualification round in Eugene, Oregon.

He was unable to record a legal jump at Hayward Field, missing out on a spot in Saturday’s final.

Meanwhile Wayne Pinnock, the other Jamaican in the competition, qualified for the finals with the 9th best jump of 7:98m. Only two men met the qualifying mark of 8:15m.

Gayle stunned the track and field world at the 2019 Doha World Championships when he leapt to 18.69m, a Jamaican national record and the longest jump in the world in 10 years. With that effort, the Papine High School graduate and Stephen Francis-coached athlete was immediately regarded as one of the top jumpers on the planet.

However, the 25-year-old’s career has been plagued by injuries since, including at the Tokoyo Olympics last summer where he failed to make the final eight. He failed to surpass the 8-metre mark this season.

Gayle injured his knee at the national trials in June and was always in a race against time to get in shape for the Worlds. Earlier this week he divulged that the swelling had returned on the flight to Eugene and both he and Francis expressed doubt that he would have been able to compete. Francis indicated that Gayle was unable to run.

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