Pinnock earns World Champs long jump silver, McLeod finishes fourth

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Razorbacks Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod placed second and fourth in the closest long jump competition in World Championship history as the gold and silver medals were decided by half an inch with the second to last jump in the event on Thursday evening at the National Athletics Center.

Pinnock collected the third silver medal for Jamaica as well as Arkansas at a World Championship, joining countryman James Beckford (1995, 2003), and Razorbacks Erick Walder (1997) and Jarrion Lawson (2017).

“Coach Travis told me to go out there and execute on my first jump, which was 8.40,” noted Pinnock. “I had to recover for my second jump and had the mindset of just focusing on my first six pushes out of the back. Then just let the run build.

“I took off and saw 8.50, I had it in the bag. I’m forever grateful for this moment. I know what I’ve been through last season, and I just want to say thanks to God, he made this possible. Also, thanks to my family for always supporting me. I did this for my baby girl, she gave me that motivation to go out there and be a fighter.”

With a mark of 27-10.75 (8.50) in the second round, Pinnock held the lead over 2021 Olympic champion Miltialdis Tentoglou of Greece, who opened with the same distance, based on a better secondary mark at that stage of the competition. McLeod occupied third place with his leap of 27-1.75 (8.27) in the second round.

Everything stood pat among those three until the sixth and final round. The third Jamaican in the field, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle matched McLeod’s mark of 27-1.75 and he held a better secondary mark of 26-9.75 (8.17), which had him in fourth place up to the final round.

“I was just hoping the mark would hold on through the final round,” stated McLeod. “But then I didn’t get the bronze medal based on count back to the next best mark.

“I managed to get the Olympic standard, so with every bad there is something good in it. I’m glad I got the Olympic standard. Now I can get ready for next year, again.”

Then Tentoglou edged past Pinnock for gold with a 27-11.25 (8.52) measurement. Pinnock, who opened with a 27-6.75 (8.40) finished with a 27-6 (8.38).

“When he pulled that off, I couldn’t believe it,” noted Pinnock. “But then I could, of course, I know what he’s capable of. I grew up watching these professional jumpers. Watching people like Tentoglou gave me the motivation as a youngster to reach the top. Now I’m here, nearly there.

“I’m still pleased and thankful to have a silver medal, it’s really a dream come true.”

The previous closest finish in the men’s World Championship long jump was 1.5 inches (4 cm), which occurred three times – 1991, 2017, and 2022. The equal marks for third and four place previous happened twice, in 1983 and 2001, with the 2023 version having a longer distance by two inches (6 cm).

“This is the only gold medal I have missed, and now it’s mine,” exclaimed Tentoglou. “I stayed calm after my first attempt of 8.50m. I was sure Pinnock had a lot to add. He’s very strong and will give much more next year. It was a great competition, a great battle.”

China’s Jianan Wang, the 2022 World Champion, finished fourth with a 26-5 (8.05) distance.

Pinnock remains the 2023 world leader with his mark of 28-0.25 (8.54) from the qualifying round at the World Championships.

This marked the second consecutive year for the title to be claimed with a final round leap, and Tentoglou became the fourth jumper to claim victory with a sixth-round mark.

Series of marks

The decathlon will take place over the next two days in Budapest and Razorback Ayden Owens-Delerme seeks to upgrade his fourth-place finish in 2022 into a medal.