The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It has been a long road to recovery for triple jumper Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands since the 2012 Olympic Games. But the national record holder said his progress is going so great that he anticipates that he should be ready to compete at the Commonwealth Games this year.

Sands, 32, dislocated his right knee as he was competing in the final of the men’s triple jump in London, England. He had to undergo surgery at the Homerton University Hospital in Homerton Row, London to repair his patellar tendinitis, better known as “Jumper’s Knee.”

“The recovery is coming along pretty good,” said Sands in an interview with The Tribune on Monday. “I’ve been in training for the past nine weeks and it’s been going pretty well. I’ve been finishing workouts, which is a good thing. I’m taking it one day at a time, but each week I’m feeling stronger and stronger.

“I’m still staying positive every day. There are some days when I feel a little stiff, but that could be because of the weather too because it’s been a little cold up here. But I’m excited and we are still looking forward to competing some time in April. We should be on schedule for that at the Auburn Invite Meet where I should open up.”

Sands, who is also preparing to welcome an addition to his family with his wife Danielle, pregnant with their third child, said Bahamian coach Henry Rolle has been gradually taking him through a vigorous training routine that should definitely have him ready to compete.

“Everything is all mental,” he said about his preparation. “I was always strong mentally, so I just need to get back into training, lifting weights and getting my body adjusted to squatting with the knee,” he said. “I’m trying to get the knee back to doing those stuff that will get me ready to do the triple jump.

“So I’ve been working on that and I’m still going to rehab at least twice a week. I’m still doing some quad stuff, trying to keep the muscle strong. I haven’t gone on the runway as yet. I think because of starting so late in my off-season training, I’m still working on my conditioning. I’m hoping to at least start doing some run throughs either at the end of this month or early next month.”

Although he hasn’t tested his knee on the runway as yet, Sands said he’s been doing a lot of running in practice and so far everything is looking good and he’s just trying to stay positive.

“I’m not trying to think too much about the knee,” he said. “I think I’m just blessed to be in the position that I’m in. I should have another opportunity to be able to represent the country, so I’m very pleased with the progress that I’ve made so far.”

The triple bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics, 2003 IAAF World Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games said at this stage in his training, he’s not going to commit himself to any particular distance that he would like to jump in competition when he gets back.

“Until I reach to that point of training, then I can really say what my goals are for the year,” Sands said.

“Coach Henry has already told me he is basically shooting for April for me to open up, so my goal is just to be able to finish the meet. Of course, I want to be 100 per cent so I can be able to jump 17 metres or 55-feet, 9 1/4-inches.

“I know it’s going to take a while for me to get to that point, but I’m up for the challenge. I will do whatever I have to do to get back to where I was two years ago.”

Sands, who has been seeing a number of doctors in Auburn to help him in his recovery, said his family has been helping him to get over his injury and friends, especially on the social networks, have been encouraging him in his comeback, wishing him every success for a strong comeback.

“Everybody is hoping that I get back and compete again,” he said. “I hear a lot more positive things than negative, which is always good. It makes me excited, knowing that I have a lot of people who want to see me come back to bring a lot of excitement to the runway. The sport is missing that. I think I was the last one left with that crazy hype. I hear from a lot of the jumpers like Will Clay and Christian Taylor. They are all telling me that they hope that I can make a comeback. All these guys tell me that they miss me out there because I get everybody hyped up and ready to go.”

While the Commonwealth Games is scheduled for July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland, Sands said he intends to return home in June to compete in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Open Track and Field Championships.

“Even though it’s an off-year, I want to make the Commonwealth Games team,” Sands said. “That’s one of my goals for the summer, to make the Commonwealth Games team.”

Only time will tell what condition Sands will be in whenever he makes his return to the track.