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Porter basks in unexpected long jump glory
Porter basks in unexpected long jump glory
Saturday, March 27, 2010
NO one was more shocked than Manchester High's Chanice Porter when she landed at 4.23m on her first attempt in the Class Two girls' long jump on Thursday night, day two of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.
Porter, who turns 16 years old in May, said she looked back after the jump and thought: "Is this for real?" She went on to set a record 6.43m that could stand for the next few years, unless she breaks it next year, which would be her second year in Class Two.
Manchester High’s Chanice Porter poses with her Class Two long jump gold medal at the National Stadium yesterday morning. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
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She wasn't the only one thinking that either, as the rest of the field that included the talented Rochelle Farquharson and Holmwood Technical's Jeneive Russell, who would win the silver and bronze medals, respectively, as well as the thousands in the stands, all realised they were witnessing something special.
That jump easily beat the three-year-old 6.11m set by Holmwood Technical's Salcia Slack and set up what was to come later.
Porter, who is more noted as a high jumper, having cleared 1.80m in Class Three, was in for an even bigger surprise later, as after passing on her other two first round attempts, then leapt a mind-boggling 6.43m that even the next day left her speechless.
"I still am not sure how to respond to that jump," she told the Observer yesterday morning after receiving medical attention for a left ankle that she twisted on the second jump.
That mark is easily the best by a junior anywhere in the world so far this year and is the second-best by any female, bested only by Australia's Jacinta Boyd who jumped 6.47m in February.
Porter's jump is also better than Cuba's Suslaidys Girat's 6.40m and another Australian Jessica Penney who did 6.39m.
The soft-spoken Porter said one of the reasons the jump was so surprising to her was that she was "not really training for the long jump and I am coming off a slight injury".
She, however, understood what she has done and noted "this is great, this is a really big achievement".
Her next step, she says, could be the National Junior Record 6.53m which has been held since 2000 by Nolle Graham. If conditions are good she said she will be taking aim when she represents Jamaica at the CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands next weekend.
Porter, who won the CARIFTA Games Under-17 long jump last year and who will start favourite to win the high jump today, says she hopes for another personal best and is targeting at a jump anywhere between 1.85 and 1.90m which would break the 1.83m record held by former Vere Technical jumper Sheree Francis set 10 years ago.
-- Paul Reid
Saturday, March 27, 2010
NO one was more shocked than Manchester High's Chanice Porter when she landed at 4.23m on her first attempt in the Class Two girls' long jump on Thursday night, day two of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.
Porter, who turns 16 years old in May, said she looked back after the jump and thought: "Is this for real?" She went on to set a record 6.43m that could stand for the next few years, unless she breaks it next year, which would be her second year in Class Two.
Manchester High’s Chanice Porter poses with her Class Two long jump gold medal at the National Stadium yesterday morning. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
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She wasn't the only one thinking that either, as the rest of the field that included the talented Rochelle Farquharson and Holmwood Technical's Jeneive Russell, who would win the silver and bronze medals, respectively, as well as the thousands in the stands, all realised they were witnessing something special.
That jump easily beat the three-year-old 6.11m set by Holmwood Technical's Salcia Slack and set up what was to come later.
Porter, who is more noted as a high jumper, having cleared 1.80m in Class Three, was in for an even bigger surprise later, as after passing on her other two first round attempts, then leapt a mind-boggling 6.43m that even the next day left her speechless.
"I still am not sure how to respond to that jump," she told the Observer yesterday morning after receiving medical attention for a left ankle that she twisted on the second jump.
That mark is easily the best by a junior anywhere in the world so far this year and is the second-best by any female, bested only by Australia's Jacinta Boyd who jumped 6.47m in February.
Porter's jump is also better than Cuba's Suslaidys Girat's 6.40m and another Australian Jessica Penney who did 6.39m.
The soft-spoken Porter said one of the reasons the jump was so surprising to her was that she was "not really training for the long jump and I am coming off a slight injury".
She, however, understood what she has done and noted "this is great, this is a really big achievement".
Her next step, she says, could be the National Junior Record 6.53m which has been held since 2000 by Nolle Graham. If conditions are good she said she will be taking aim when she represents Jamaica at the CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands next weekend.
Porter, who won the CARIFTA Games Under-17 long jump last year and who will start favourite to win the high jump today, says she hopes for another personal best and is targeting at a jump anywhere between 1.85 and 1.90m which would break the 1.83m record held by former Vere Technical jumper Sheree Francis set 10 years ago.
-- Paul Reid