The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bsttubs@tribunemedia.net

HE is a late addition to the team, but high jumper Jamal Wilson said he’s going to use that as his inspiration when he goes to ‘Track City USA’ in Portland, Oregon, next weekend to compete in the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s World Indoor Championships.

Wilson, who has also met the qualifying standard for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August, said he’s delighted that the IAAF has granted him permission to compete on the Bahamas team, which increased to more than 10. He will now join Donald Thomas in the high jump.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m just blessed that I’ve been given the opportunity,” Wilson said. “At first, I wasn’t named to the team, but a day later, the IAAF gave the BAAA the confirmation to add me to the team. So there were a few mixed emotions in there, but I feel happy about it nonetheless.”

This will be the first time that Wilson, 29, will get to compete at any of the major international meets and based on his performances going into Oregon, he intends to make the most of his appearance.

“I’m extremely excited, so optimistic that I can barely get the visuals out of my mind,” he said. “Going forth, I just want to relax and remain confident. Whatever God puts in my legs that day, I will take it. But I have no doubt in my mind that I will perform very well over there.”

Wilson, one of the top local jumpers over the past decade, is coming off a sub-par indoor season in which he posted his personal best of 2.31 metres or 7-feet, 7-inches in a meet in Linz, Austria, on February 12. Four days later in the Czech Republic, he won the meet with 2.26m (7-5), but he shut it down after he experienced a slight injury.

“To be extremely honest, I got a PR, but it didn’t go as well as I anticipated,” he said. “I faced a couple of hurdles in the road with a few tiny nicks in my muscle so I couldn’t push myself as hard as I wanted to. But I’m just fortunate to be back at 100 per cent and ready to compete at the World Indoors. I have to clean up some things and go for a medal.”

Since competing at the 4th IAAF World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morrocco in 2005 and the IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China in 2006, Wilson has been trying to get his breakthrough at the senior level. This year, he feels as if he has finally arrived.

The IAAF World Indoors is his first step. The Olympics his next.