Jamaica’s Damar Forbes Jumps into World Final

With just one jump remaining to secure a spot in the final of the long jump competition at the World Championships in Moscow on Wednesday, Jamaica’s Damar Forbes leaped 26 ft, 1½ ins in the qualifying round for a place among the qualifiers, who will battle for gold, silver and bronze on tomorrow.

Throughout the first two rounds, the former Louisiana State University’s (LSU) athlete had a top distance of 25’-6” and found himself in 14th place overall, two place outside the coveted 12 headed to the final. And then, the reigning SEC Outdoor and NCAA Outdoor champion catapulted himself into the final 12 with a leap of 26’-1½” (-0.5) to land at the number seven spot among the qualifiers.

Forbes, who graduated from LSU in May with a degree in sport administration, is a World Championships long jump finalist for the first time, after also competing for Jamaica in the event at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, where he placed 20th overall and at the 2012 London Olympic Games where he was 19th.

The  22-yr-old was a six-time All-American and six-time All-SEC athlete for his four seasons at LSU, His wind-legal seasonal best jump of 27’-0¾” is also a personal record, and he is the world’s No. 11-ranked long jumper for 2013.