Lawson set to star in Nitro Athletics

But for the scrape of a finger in the sand, Jarrion Lawson would have arrived in Australia as the reigning Olympic long jump champion.

There are a couple of pretty good reasons why Usain Bolt probably won't follow through on his threat to have a crack at the long jump in the Nitro Athletics series.

There's the unthinkable prospect of the greatest sprinter of alltime getting injured while contesting an unfamiliar event.

And there's the fact that his All Stars squad also includes American Jarrion Lawson, who would have arrived in Australia as the reigning Olympic long jump champion if he hadn't scraped his finger in the sand in his final jump last year in Rio.

Lawson, 22, was sure he had soared well beyond the 8.40m mark, which would have put him ahead of fellow American Jeff Henderson, who claimed the gold with 8.38m.

But with officials ruling he had trailed a finger on his left hand in the sand, he had to settle for fourth spot.

"Because I'm not a sore loser I have learned how to lose," said Lawson.

"Even with me getting fourth, it didn't feel like I'd lost, it felt like I gained everything from being the gold medallist - I just didn't have the tangible item."

Lawson's other claim to fame came earlier in 2016 at the US collegiate championships, when he became the first man since the legendary Jesse Owens 80 years earlier to win gold in the 100m, 200m and long jump.

That versatility will make him a very valuable commodity in the team-based Nitro series beginning on Saturday.

"I am looking forward to doing all of my events from the long jump to the 200," said Lawson.

"Whether it be relays, 60 (metres), 200 (metres) or long jump I'll be ready for it."

And what if his captain-coach Bolt, whose 100m world record stands at 9.58 seconds, pulls rank and decides to have a crack at the long jump in his place?

"Oh man that would be great," said Lawson.

"My coach always tells me long jump is speed, speed is No.1.

"So if you get 9.5 speed down the runway I can't imagine what happens."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world