IT’S mission accomplished for Chad Wright as he threw 61.54m to win the men’s discus open at the Pure Water/Jamaica College Track and Field Invitational Meet last Saturday, and in the process easily surpassed the qualifying standard of 50.00m for July’s Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Wright, who will be 23 years old on March 15, smashed the previous record of 58.26m held by former Calabar High teammate Travis Smikle since 2012 with his first throw of the year.

“One of my main achievements that I wanted to do today was qualify for the Commonwealth Games and just compete and see where I am for the start of the season,” Wright told the Jamaica Observer after collecting his medal.

He continued: “Knowing that I won’t compete until the end of March outdoor, so this was a good opportunity to get in the throw and see where I am.”

Wright, in his final year at the University of Nebraska, where he is majoring in mathematics, said he will be here in Jamaica until school reopens in a few weeks’ time.

“I am here up until next week, so I will just keep training until I have to go back to school. School is going pretty well. I am just getting ready to finish my senior year at college. This will be a massive year for me,” he noted.

Wright has a personal best of 63.74m for the discus in gaining second spot at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 2013.

In 2012, he created history by becoming the first Jamaican to win the discus event at the NCAA meet, throwing 62.79m for the gold medal.

His personal best of 63.74 secured All-America honours and put him at second all-time at Nebraska. It made him the Big Ten’s all-time leader in the discus.

Wright has also been doing well in the shot put with a personal best of 18.86m done while finishing fifth at the NCAA Championship last year.