Rising star Wayne Pinnock aims at World Championships
RISING star Wayne Pinnock was the toast at Kingston College (KC) yesterday, as students, fans and well-wishers all scuffled for a chance to get that special Kodak moment with Champs the triple gold medallist.
The 18-year-old Pinnock broke both the Class One long jump and 110m hurdles records in devastating style. He destroyed the 26-year-old long jump record of 7.87m not once, but twice — firstly with 7.95m and then settled it at a remarkable 8.05m (-0.8 mps) thus becoming the first high school boy to soar past the coveted eight-metre barrier.
He then returned on Saturday and lowered the 110m hurdles mark from 13.10 to 13.06 (-0.8 mps) and, in the process, had the previous record holder Dejour Russell well beaten into fourth spot with 13.43.
Having won bronze at the IAAF World Youth Championships last year with 7.90m, it was not surprising which of the records he cherished the most.
“The long jump. I think they didn’t believe in me that I could jump over eight metres without wind, and I proved them wrong,” he told the Jamaica Observer inbetween his picture-taking, as fans lined up patiently for their moment.
Pinnock, who said he would be returning to school next year to further his studies, also won his third gold medal after giving KC a bullet start where they upset their more-fancied rivals Calabar High in the 4x100m relays. KC clocked 39.98 seconds.
“It’s a really great feeling for me to know that I had some niggles in training and worked on them and I came back and did it — so it’s a great feeling for me,” he explained.
Pinnock, who won both the Under-14 and Under-16 all-island football titles with KC as a right back, was tasting victory at Champs for the first time.
“It’s very, very touching for me. I am really proud of my team and the coaching staff, and I am very proud of myself,” said Pinnock.
Pinnock, whose 8.05m long jump effort places him atop the Under-20 world ranking, and eighth in the men’s senior world ranking behind Maykel Masso of Cuba with 8.22m and China’s Xinglong Gao with 8.18, is looking ahead.
“Well, it’s World Championships for me but before that, Carifta Games and Penn Relays,” he noted.
