Jaydon Hibbert one of five nominees for World Athletics Rising Star Award

World Athletics announced five nominees for the 2022 Men’s Rising Star Award on Wednesday to recognize this year’s best U20 athlete. Razorback freshman Jaydon Hibbert was one of the five athletes chosen for the accolade.

The winner will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced in early December.

“I did not expect this because I’m a new talent,” said 17-year-old Hibbert. “As the title of the award says I see myself as a rising star, because I took two years to reach where I am right now.

“I’m really grateful to see that the world acknowledges me as one of these five people to be nominated for this award. I’m happy and it made my day, honestly.”

Representing Jamaica, Hibbert claimed triple jump gold at the 2022 World U20 Championships this past summer with a meet record performance of 56-8 (17.27) which improved his previous best by two feet. Usually, improvements in the event are measured in inches not feet.

“As a junior it’s a big thing,” noted Hibbert. “Plus, I’m the only Jamaican among the men’s nominees to be considered as a rising star.”

Hibbert, who competed for Kingston College High School in Kingston, Jamaica, surpassed the previous Championship record of 56-3.25 (17.15) set in 2018 by Cuban Jordan Diaz Fortun. Hibbert achieved the distance on his first jump of the competition following an hour rain delay.

A previous best of 54-8 (16.66) by Hibbert was the U20 world leader for 2022 heading into the World Championships. His winning performance in Cali, Colombia, improved his Jamaica U18 national record and moved to No. 2 on the all-time world U20 list, trailing only a 57-1.5 (17.41) U18 world best by Fortun from 2018.

“Honestly, I have to give it up to God at this point,” stated Hibbert. “I do the same training as the other people at my school. I guess I’m favored, in a way, since I improved so fast. No matter what I do I take it really seriously and I don’t give up anything. Even if I’m sick on a day I’ll still try to do as much as I can on that day and forget the sickness. I’ll just try to do my best.”

Hibbert just missed eclipsing the Jamaican U20 national record of 56-8.75 (17.29) set by James Beckford in 1994. On the senior level, Hibbert ranks as the No. 2 performer on the all-time Jamaica list with the No. 4 performance.

For the 2022 season, Hibbert produced the world’s six best performances in the triple jump.

Joining Hibbert among the five men’s nominees for the Rising Star Award are Anthony Ammirati of France, American Erriyon Knighton, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, and Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Ammirati claimed the World U20 pole vault title and had the world’s six best U20 performances of the year. Knighton earned a bronze medal in the 200m at the World Championships held in Eugene and broke the World U20 200m record.

Tebogo collected gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m at the World U20 Championships and set a World U20 100m record. Wanyomi finished fourth in the World Championships 800m and set the world’s fastest U20 time for the season.

Now in Fayetteville and going through fall training, Hibbert is adjusting to the transition.

“It’s kind of different, but not entirely different,” said Hibbert. “I was doing most of this stuff in my high school. The weights are heavier, and I have a better sequence of my technique for the weights. That’s a big improvement.

“Mentally, I’m still a little shaky in adjusting. It’s a new environment with new people and new everything. I’m doing really well, though, and I’m still doing well in school. I’m just trying my best.”

A bonus for Hibbert is having Jamaican teammates on the Razorback squad, including a crew of jumpers who are alums of Kingston College, the same school Hibbert attended.

“It feels good, and I can relate to some people the way I relate to people in Jamaica,” noted Hibbert. “It’s hard, though, to speak Jamaican and then speak American. It takes a lot of energy. I like it, though, because there are people here who I can have a normal conversation with and not try to think about anything too much.”