If the qualifying round is any indication of Saturday evening’s final in the men’s Long Jump, the Valencia competition may be remembered as the weakest in the history of the World Indoor Championships.
Only three men – Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi of Saudi Arabia and Briton Chris Tomlinson – at 8.01, 8.00m and 7.95m respectively, surpassed the automatic qualifying distance of 7.95, leaving a fairly tightly-knit group vying for the remaining six starting slots in the final.
Poland’s Marcin Starzak, an 8.21m jumper outdoors, came closest to the lead pair with a 7.92 leap on his second attempt. After mediocre leaps of just 7.75 and 7.56, veteran James Beckford of Jamaica, the 2004 silver medallist, improved to 7.91 with his third jump to secure his spot in the final.
Also advancing were Cuban Wilfredo Martinez, Gable Garenamostse of Botswana, and Bulgarian Nikolay Atanasov, all with 7.82 leaps.
For the first time in the history of the championships, no American will compete in the final. Twice U.S. champion Trevell Quinley was a distant 13th with a 7.60m best, while John Moffitt, the Olympic silver medallist four years ago, was last, managing a best of just 7.17m.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
