By Korie Marshall
Practicing a new technique has really paid off for local track star Omar Medina – he won gold in the long jump recently in Kamloops.
Medina says he’s been working on something new – “It’s a new feeling of how the jump is supposed to be,” and it has given him more height. Competition in the long jump usually starts with a “full approach,” but early in the season, Medina says competitors will usually start with a half approach to learn to control their speed. And even with a half approach, he almost broke the six meter mark – which was enough to get him gold at the Thompson River University track meet in mid-February. His record last summer with a full approach was 6.02 meters.
Medina also came in 5th in both the 60 and 200 meter races, which he says is way better than he did last year. He says long-jumpers don’t usually finish well in races, because speed is not usually their strength, but he is happy the leader in both races was never more than two meters in front of him, and there were only three milliseconds between the 2nd and 6th place finished in his 60 meter race. Even his relay team set a record.
Medina’s next meet will likely be in Prince George in early May.
