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2008 Beijing Olympic Preview: Men’s Long Jump

Posted August 13th, 2008 at 10:04 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Men’s Long Jump
The Schedule: qualifying, Saturday Aug 16; final, Monday Aug 18
The Americans: #5 Brian Johnson, #6 Miguel Pate, #12 Trevell Quinley
The Contenders: #1 Irving Saladino (PAN) #2 Hussein Taher Al-Sabee (KSA), #3 Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi (KSA), #7 Loúis Tsátoumas (GRE), #11 Ibrahim Camejo (CUB)
The Stats: Records, 2008 List, 2007 Worlds, 2004 Olympics
The Medal Picks: T&FN - Saladino, Tsátoumas, Camejo; SI - Saladino, Tsátoumas, Camejo
The Story: The only thing that could keep Saladino from winning Panama’s first Olympic gold medal is his own knee. A niggling injury there caused his only loss since July 2006, a 7th-place finish at Berlin’s Golden League meet. Earlier in the year on Holland, he recorded the best jump in the last 14 years plus a massive foul of over 9 meters (29′ 6″). And pressure doesn’t get to him; at last year’s Worlds, Italy’s Andrew Howe overtook first place on the second-to-last jump of the competition, but Saladino calmly stepped up with the last jump and took it right back.

Of all the countries you could have guessed to supercede the US in long jumping dominance, Saudi Arabia might have been one of your last choices. But they have two legitimate medal threats, who most likely will do battle with Americans Johnson and Pate. Quinley’s win at the Olympic Trials was probably a fluke, and success for him will be just making the finals.

Note: Athletes’ rankings refer to TheFinalSprint.com’s World Points Standings, and medal picks come to us from Track & Field News and Sports Illustrated, respectively.