The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HAVING clinched a berth for the IAAF 15th World Championships in Beijing, China this summer, Donald Thomas said he’s now looking forward to regaining his berth as one of the top high jumpers on the planet.

Coming off a fifth place finish in Banská, Bystrica, Slovakia on February 4 with a leap of 2.31 metres or 7-feet, 7-inches, Thomas went to the Sainsbury Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix where he cleared 7-5 for fourth place on Saturday.

In both meets, Thomas finished down the ladder because of fewer knockdowns by his opponents, who cleared the same height with the exception of the top two finishers in the first meet.

“My objective was to get a clean sheet because I didn’t want it to come down to misses,” said Thomas about his last meet. “I had one miss that caused me the competition. I really wished I had won it.”

The 30-year-old Grand Bahamian said he’s in pretty good shape and is confident that he can have another banner year. His performance in Slovakia has given him all the confidence that he needs as it turned out to be one of his best season openers in quite some time and just shy of his personal best of 2.33m (7-7 3/4).

“I’m just trying to stay healthy,” said Thomas, who was scheduled to compete in another meet in Sweden today.

“I just came over here to test my fitness. Everything worked out, so I just have to go back to training and get ready for the outdoors.”

At present, Thomas is the only Bahamian competing on the circuit indoors. Unlike in the past, athletes have to be ranked in order to secure their spots for the various meets on the international scene.

“My level of fitness is alright. That was the plan to compete indoors and I qualified for the World Championships, so I can come back to the United States and concentrate a little harder on my training for Beijing,” Thomas said.

“I’m very pleased with where I am right now.”

Thomas, currently ranked in a tie with nine others at No.6 in the world, is hoping to regain the form that enabled him to win the world title in Osaka, Japan, in 2007.

He also won the gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the Pan American Games in Guadalajara in 2011 and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez in 2010.