DAMAR Forbes has no intention of backing down from remarks he made two years ago that he will break the Jamaican senior men’s long jump record of 8.62m set 18 years ago in 1997 by James Beckford.

Despite a personal best of 8.25m set at the National Stadium in 2013, Forbes, who was born in St Ann but raised in Georgia and attended Louisiana State University, says he thinks he could take the mark this season.

“I am still going after it, I am not going to back down and hopefully if not before the World Championships, then at World Championships because that’s my aim right now,” he said after winning a fourth straight title at the JAAA Senior Trials last weekend.

Forbes, who is set to compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris this Saturday, failed to get past the 8.00m mark at the Trials, winning with 7.98m, but said he was ok with that.

“I was just working on the runway as I have been fouling a lot at meets this season,” he pointed out. “My runway (execution) has been inconsistent but I got it together here.”

With that out of the way, he says he can concentrate on other parts of the event. “I felt really good here (Trials), but unfortunately I could not get the 8.00m jump because I have been focusing so much on the run-way… but I have World Championships to worry about and many more meets to go to.”

Forbes, who will be participating in his third World Championships, told reporters he had been consistently over the 8.00m mark all year, so missing it at Trials is not a big deal.

“I have gone over 8.00m almost every meet that I have been to, so I am just going to chart this up as a win, fourth time Jamaican champion, I think that’s a good thing and I am going to take it as a plus… I won and 7.98m is not a bad jump and there is more to come.”

After placing eighth two years ago at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Forbes has a taste for success and says he does not rule out a podium finish at this year’s renewal in Beijing, China.

“I have been working through meets so far and have not really tapered down for any meets,” he explained.

“I am lifting heavy, just waiting for the chance to go out there and do what I can do, the runway felt really good here (in Jamaica) and once I got that right I am not worried,” Forbes said.