KINGSTON, Jamaica— While saying he would wait until Monday for the official announcement by his shoe company sponsor, triple jump star Jaydon Hibbert hinted that he has signed a professional contract with German shoe giants Puma.

“Well it’s kinda obvious,” Hibbert responded with a laugh when he was asked the question by Observer Online during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

Hibbert, who turned 19 years old earlier this month, will forgo the next three seasons of NCAA competition after he signed a professional contract last week. He had signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) contract with Puma late in his freshman season.

His decision to become a professional was not a complete surprise to many after his domination of the event in his first season, going unbeaten over seven events, including winning the NCAA indoor/outdoor double, the SEC double with a total of 13 jumps, setting an outdoor World Under- 20 record 17.87m, which was the best in the world in 2023, breaking the Jamaican indoor record -17.54m and also breaking the long-established NCAA and University of Arkansas records.

-Paul A Reid