7 months ago
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ONE COULD be forgiven if they thought former national record holder Maurice Wignall only represented Jamaica in the 110-metre hurdles.
Backtrack to the year 1997 when he made his debut on the World Athletics Championship stage. Maurice Wignall, the man known as ‘Mr Smooth’, appeared, making marks in the long jump pit.
Wignall qualified for the final with the joint-second longest leap of 8.09 metres with Senegal’s Cheikh Toure.
But Wignall, having never been in a global final, fouled thrice, exiting without registering a mark.
“In 1997 when I went to the World Championships in Athens, Greece, which was my first World Championships, I was nervous but also in prime form. I was still in college and raring to go as, leading up to that World Championships, I was competing every week. I had some foul jumps in qualifying and I began to worry, but I looked in the stands and saw Suzette Lee and Trecia-Kay Smith, who began to advise me.
“We spoke and I made the necessary adjustments and managed to jump 8.09 metres in qualifying. However, in the final, I had three foul jumps and that devastated me. It devastated me to the point where I wanted to quit the sport,” said Wignall.
At the Carifta level, Wignall mined long jump silver in 1993, gold in 1994 and 1995, and also a bronze medal in the triple jump in 1995. After his tenure at George Mason University had ended, Wignall pondered his next move, as a long jump coach was nowhere in sight.
“When I left college, I couldn’t identify a long jump coach, and a friend of mine (Carl Smith) at the time asked me to come and train with his coach in the hurdles until I could find a long jump coach. I started the hurdles and then the rest is history, but I made that decision just to pass the time. It’s one of my regrets because I wish I had a long jump coach just to see how far I would have gone,” he reflected.
While his hurdles career propelled him to heights which included being the former national record holder, Commonwealth Games bronze in 2002, World Indoor bronze in the 60 metres in 2004, and Commonwealth Gold in 2006, Mr Smooth still sees the ghost of what-ifs looming large.
“If you ask me now, my preference is still the long jump, but I’ve had a wonderful career in the hurdles and I’m satisfied with it. I still wish I had a long jump coach, because I thought I could have done so well. I’m happy with the progress of Wayne Pinnock, Cary Mcleod, Tajay Gayle and all the guys who’re doing well for Jamaica. I don’t think the country could have asked for anything more,” he said.
English (US) ·