WORLD Championships gold medallist and double national record holder Trecia Kay Smith says her triple jump legacy is in safe hands and she is satisfied with the state of the event in Jamaica.

“I think the jumps for Jamaica are in great hands. I get excited about the prospect and limitless possibilities that I am witnessing — not just female, but males as well.”

Smith, the seven-time national champion, was recently recognised for her outstanding career in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for University of Pittsburgh by being nominated as part of the 2024 class of the The US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Collegiate Track and Field/Cross Country Athletes Hall of Fame.

The former Manning’s School standout, who still holds both national records — 15.16m set outdoor in 2004 and 14.84m set indoor in 2006 — is the only Jamaican to win a global gold medal in the ‘hop, step and jump’ event.

Smith was the first Jamaican woman to go beyond 15 metres in the triple jump, and took over the mantle from former St Jago High and Louisiana State University great Suzette Lee.

Smith praised her compatriots who have been flying Jamaica’s flag in the event.

“Kimberly Williams has done very well and is still competing at the highest level, Shanieka Ricketts has done a remarkable job picking up the mantle and [is] forging ahead. I hope with her continued presence she will inspire others to emulate those achievements.

“I always believe that such level of excellence will only breed more excellence. Her [Ricketts] being a 15-metre jumper will only spur on others to have similar breakthroughs. I can’t wait; this has been a long time coming. I want to take this opportunity to wish them all success in Paris 2024.”

Williams, who has already achieved the qualifying standard for the Paris Olympics, along with Ricketts, boasts a resume that includes three medals at the World Indoor Championships from five trips. Her seven national titles match Smith’s, and her five NCAA titles are just two fewer than Smith. Williams has been to three Olympic Games finals and has won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Ricketts, who ended 2023 strong with 15-metre jumps in two of her last three competitions, has won the last five national titles. She has three NCAA titles and is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion. She has won seven times on the Diamond League circuit.

But for a muscle cramp in the first round of the men’s final at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the Jamaican rising star Jaydon Hibbert might have surpassed James Beckford’s national record and silver-medal finish at the World Championships. Beckford won silver medals at the World Indoor Championships and Olympic Games.