Top Jamaican 400m hurdler Kaliese Spencer was in the stands yesterday cheering on her cousin Alex Robinson in the Class Three boys' long jump, an event that she quickly rejected as a future possibility despite her physique.

Robinson, representing Calabar High, helped himself to a personal best 6.48m to win the event ahead of Wolmer's Dameon Creary, 6.40m, and Jamaica College's Johni James, 6.09m, at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championships inside the National Stadium.

His jump certainly got Spencer, a former World Junior Champion and multiple times Diamond League winner over the 400m hurdles, excited, but not enough to ever consider the event.

"Me in the long jump? I doubt it. I tried that and the first time I did, I fell on my face, so I don't think it's my thing," Spencer laughed, before giving her assessment of young Robinson's improvement.

"Since prep school, he has been working very hard; he went to Vaz Prep," Spencer said. "He was injured last season, I think at Gibson Relays, but I'm very happy with the improvements he has made so far."

"He is jumping well, and I think he will be doing even better things as he grows and develops. I know he is also in the sprint hurdles. I'm not so sure what he will be doing because I haven't seen too much of him in that event, but I hope he will do well there as well," she added, smiling.

Gold-medal contender

Also smiling, Robinson, who could not make the school's team last season and who barely turned up in any prediction as a gold-medal contender, said the result was extremely special for him and serves as a source of motivation going forward.

"This gold medal is special to me, I had to jump real hard for this. I haven't been jumping too well all season but I knew I could do it and I'm happy I managed to do it," Robinson said. "It's a wonderful feeling to contribute the points. I didn't compete last year, and I'm here this season winning a gold medal; it's a great feeling."

- A.L.