KC long jumper Pinnock targets personal best, World Championships
Wayne Pinnock is a man on a mission, a mission that goes beyond just achieving at the high school level.
After getting a taste of success at the international youth level in 2018, he has set his sights to mix it up with the big boys in 2019.
After an amazing year in the long jump in 2018 where he won gold at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Athletics Championships where he captured the bronze medal at the IAAF Under-20 World Championships, the Kingston College athlete, who also competes in the sprint hurdles, is looking to do even bigger and better things this year.
Pinnock, who is also a very talented sprint hurdler, opened his season in that particular discipline at the Queens/Grace Jackson Development Meet inside the National Stadium on Saturday, winning his heat.
“I followed my coach’s instructions, (I) went out there and I got a great start and I completed the race, so I am grateful. I feel good about my opening,” he commented.
While he had a brilliant time competing in the long jump in 2018, it was far less satisfying in the obstacle race, but Pinnock has promised to do much better this season in the 110m hurdles.
“Last season I didn’t have a coach; we got a coach about three weeks before the championship and I put in a little work,” he explained.
“This season I will come back strong,” he promised.
Even though it is still very early in the season, the sixth form student athlete already knows what his key targets are for the year.
“I am focusing to break the 8m barrier and qualify for the World Championships and also to go out there and get a new personal best,” Pinnock said.
It may seem like a big task for the 17-year-old, but with a personal best of 7.99m set at the Digicel Grand Prix final last year, it would be foolhardy to bet against him reaching the 8m that he is targeting.
Additional motivation for the KC man will come from the fact that despite winning gold at “Champs”, he was unable to break the long jump record, which is 7.87m, on the big stage. He had a maximum distance of 7.77m on the way to winning.
— Dwayne Richards
