TOKYO, Japan — Horizontal jumper Ackelia Smith believes that being able to commit more time towards her preparation and competition should have a positive effect on her performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite having to juggle school and her athletics ambitions over the past few seasons, Smith has managed to deliver impressive performances in both the long and triple jump, making the final in both events at the Olympic Games in Paris last year. She competed in the long jump final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the triple jump final in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

This year, her first as a professional athlete, Smith has been able to be more intentional about where and when she competes and she is confident that the new situation will allow her to give her best when it matters.

“My experience at this level has been really good but I was also in college at the time and it was the end of my college season and I had a lot going on, so having this year as my first year as a professional athlete and only doing the professional circuit, I am really looking forward to putting a lot of myself to just competing and using all the experience I have garnered from the other championships here in Tokyo,” Smith stated ahead of this weekend’s start of competition.

In 2024, Smith competed 29 times for Jamaica and the University of Texas. This year, she has only featured on 15 occasions and is entering the championships with more gas in the tank; something she hopes will help her on her road to greater successes.

“Tokyo is the place to be right now if I want to be on the podium and I would really love that especially in the Long Jump but I am also looking for it in the triple jump as well,” Smith said.

For her, the preparation for the championships has gone well and the 23-year-old says she is excited to get going on Saturday at 6:30 pm when the qualification round of the women’s long jump gets underway inside the Japan National Stadium.

“I had a training camp and it was really good; practice has been really good. I have seen some positive results coming out of it and even here in Tokyo the results from the sessions have been really good so I am looking forward to competing,” Smith said.

Getting on the podium will be a tough challenge for the young Jamaican, whose season’s best of 6.74m fall well short of what is expected for a spot on the podium.

“I think both events are very challenging. There are some really great athletes out there but technically speaking, I think I have a way better chance in the long jump but that’s not going to stop me from fighting for the triple jump as well,” she said.