Jamaica’s triple jump prodigy Jaydon Hibbert says he is incorporating new elements into his performance as he aims to make a triumphant return to the track this year.

Hibbert, who suffered an injury in the final of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year, is the reigning collegiate indoor and outdoor champion and ended the season with the best distance in the event.

Acknowledging that his training is progressing somewhat slowly, Hibbert nevertheless remains focused on introducing elements into enhance his performance and, with the Olympic Games coming up later this year, he says that he plans to sit out the indoor season and focus on making a strong comeback.

“Everything is going good, but training is a bit slow now. I am introducing some of the stuff that I didn’t do last year, so I am just taking it slow right now,” said Hibbert. “I will probably sit out the indoor season and start with a bang outdoors. It is an Olympic year, and so I want to just maximise on my potential. It is just taking it slow for now, but as soon as the outdoor season starts, I will be up and running.”

Hibbert, 19, a second-year student at the University of Arkansas in the United States, set a world Under-20 record of 17.54m on his way to winning the NCAA indoor title. The former Kingston College standout established a new personal best of 17.87m — the world-leading mark at the SEC Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in May of last year.

Hibbert led all qualifiers to the final of the triple jump competition in Budapest, with a leap of 17.70m. However, he had to pull out of the event with a hamstring strain. The event was eventually won by Hugues Fabrice Zango from Burkina Faso, who cut the sand at 17.64m to capture the gold medal.

The Jamaican athlete has expressed his excitement at the opportunity to compete at the Paris 2024 Games and highlighted the significance of the event.

“I am feeling very well and I am very excited,” he said. “I haven’t competed in like five to six months, and so I am just super excited. This is going to be my first Olympics too, and so I want to see what that is all about. It should be super fun. The goal is to get better each year, and therefore there is much more to gain, and I am working towards it.”

The soft-spoken Hibbert, known for his fearless approach to the sport, added that he is looking forward to the challenges this year, fully aware that he will be targeted as a leader in his event.

“I am never intimidated by anything or anyone because I am just going out there to have fun,” he said.

“I am still young, I am still growing in the sport, but if I can kick it while I am young, then why not,” Hibbert said. “You can expect more great things from me this year because I am improving in the gym, I am improving speed-wise, strength-wise, and you will see a lot of improvements. I haven’t finalised when I will open my season,” Hibbert stated.