World Under-20 record holder Jaydon Hibbert has secured his spot in the final of the men’s triple jump at the Olympic Games in Paris, after a solid performance at the Stade de France on Wednesday. Hibbert, who posted a qualifying mark of 16.99m (0.5m/s), finished sixth overall to advance to the next stage of the competition.
Unlike his impressive qualification at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where he needed just one jump to secure his place in the final, Hibbert had to complete all three attempts in Paris as only four athletes surpassed the automatic qualifying mark of 17.10m. Hibbert’s best mark came in the first round, followed by a strong 16.95m in his second attempt, although he fouled his final jump.
Meanwhile, Jordan Scott, the other Jamaican contender in the event, was unable to advance after achieving a distance of 16.36m (0.3m/s), which placed him ninth in his qualifying group.
The competition proved challenging, with former Cuban representatives and top contenders like defending champion Pablo Pedro Pichardo of Portugal (17.44m), Spain’s Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun (17.24m), American Salif Mane (17.16m), and World Champion Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso (17.16m) all securing their places in the final with just one jump.
Hibbert will now aim to build on his qualifying performance and contend for a medal in the final, where he will face a field of seasoned competitors. As one of Jamaica’s promising young talents, all eyes will be on Hibbert as he takes on the world’s best in the triple jump final.
