Sport

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Chad Wright, fresh off his joint history-making feat with Traves Smikle in becoming the first Jamaicans to qualify for the discus final at the recently concluded World Junior Championships, will be heading off to the United States in the next three weeks to take up a full scholarship at the University of Nebraska.

Wright is the double junior record holder in both the shot put and discus. He tossed 18.87 metres in the shot put at Jamaica's Junior Championship and 63.11 metres at the 34th staging of the Carifta Games to establish the leading marks.

"I feel very happy seeing that I am the first in my family to be given a scholarship to a school abroad," said Wright. "It is a great achievement for me and my coach (Julian Robinson) as well, seeing that it is an athletics scholarship."w

Wright, who will be studying mechanical engineering during his four-year programme, said his coach played a great part in his choice of an overseas institution."I didn't really have any special preferences for college abroad; my coach helped me in the decision making," said Wright. "He told me what I should look for in the schools; such as how good is their athletic team, what type of scholarship is it and the graduation rate for the athletes," he added.

Wright will be leaving the island within three weeks for the August 23 start of school, and has been promised an free extra year if his grades are good. He, however, has bittersweet feelings about leaving his family and friends.

"Leaving is good in the sense that I will be getting new experiences, and bad in the sense that not all my experiences will be shared with my family and friends."

The 19-year-old was left disappointed with his performance at the IAAF World Championships, after his throw of 60.33 metres was good enough only for fourth and his mark of 18.34m could only earn him 12th in the shot put.

Wright said: "For the shot put I was disappointed, not that I missed a medal but I missed the top 10, and for the discus I am both happy and disappointed. I am happy because Travis and I made history as the first two Jamaicans to ever make it to a final in throwing, but I personally feel my performance could have been better."

He has big ambitions for the future in his sporting disciplines.

"In athletics, I am looking towards Olympics 2012, and if I qualify for World Championships next year, I am looking forward to that as well."