It has been a long time since I have posted on my site, sorry. I think it is time to get back to business and get some more messages out to the public. I am excited for several reasons. First, it seems that the triple jump has an exciting future, especially on the women’s side. Secondly, I am working with a great athlete now that could come back next year and surprise many who have doubted his potential. And, finally, I am really inspired by the kids who are attending the World Record Camps that were held over the summer.
I just returned from Eugene, Oregon where the IAAF Junior World Championships were held. It was exciting to see all the young talent from all over the world competing for their country. I was impressed with the way the triple jumpers performed. I especially liked watching the women jump. The only disappointment is that the US women are still severely lagging behind the rest of the world. We need to do something about that soon. Last Saturday the IAAF ended the day with the senior men’s triple jump competition starring Christian Taylor. You can see him in the picture above.
Over the last few months I have been working with Jadel Gregorio from Brazil. He is a giant man that triple jumps. His best is 17m90 (58′ 8.75″). He has not competed in an international competition in 4.5 years because of an injury to his knees. He is now strong and healthy. He is still getting used to my training program but I think if he is patient he will be back into his old form soon. I hope you will all pray for him.
Over the last few weeks I have been doing a lot of youth camps. Two of the camps are presented by the World Record Camps. You can view the worldrecordcamps.com site to see many photos of the work that the young participants put into learning the skills necessary to improve in their selected event. We had some of the best athletes/coaches teaching them. Stacy Dragila, Ian Waltz, Jon Drummond, Dick Fosbury, Mike Powell and myself spent two days training the athletes in our specialty. Along with these Olympians we had coach Gregg Simmons, a specialist in the hurdles. Soon, the World Record Camps will be opening another clinic during the holiday. Be sure to stay tuned at www.worldrecordcamps.com.
I have done many camps and clinics over the years and generally speaking, the most effective have been those that combined the teaching of basic skills with competition, drills, and fun. One of my favorite camp programs has been the Simplot Camp in Pocatello, Idaho. The camp is 3 days of extensive coaching, drilling and lots of fun for all the participants.
Mr. Triple Jump 