FAYETTEVILLE -- Heartbroken upon just missing the jump that would have won Arkansas an NCAA Outdoor championship, Clive Pullen warmed the heart of his Arkansas coach by hitting the jump to become Jamaica's first Olympic triple jumper since 1972.
Travis Geopfert, Pullen's coach in Fayetteville, said he knew after three jumps last Friday at the Jamaican Olympic Trials that Pullen's 54-5 was good enough for him to be Jamaica's champion yet not advance to August's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Pullen's lifetime best of 55-0 came when winning May's SEC Outdoor, and it still left him 3.5 inches shy of the Olympic standard. Geopfert said he knew how disappointed Pullen was after barely fouling on a jump that would have made the Razorbacks NCAA Outdoor champions on June 10 at Eugene, Ore., instead of second-place finishers.
And he said he could feel Pullen's joy after the Jamaican's fourth attempt Friday of 55-5.5 qualified him for the Olympic Games.
"I don't know if I ever wanted anything so badly for one person than I wanted Clive Pullen to make that Olympic standard," Geopfert said. "Just watching it is something that I will never forget."
Tropical Jamaica historically abounds with Olympic sprinters yet has had more Winter Olympics bobsledders than Summer Olympics triple jumpers in recent years.
"He is the first triple jumper to represent Jamaica in the Olympics in 44 years," Geopfert said, noting that Henry James was the most recent. "They haven't had a guy make the standard since 1972. Isn't that crazy? His fourth jump he lined it and got it done, man. It was awesome."
Pullen scored 10 first-place triple-jump points for Arkansas at the SEC Indoor, SEC Outdoor and at the NCAA Indoor. Pullen almost achieved the awesome one that would have won Arkansas the NCAA Outdoor.
Pullen started the NCAA Outdoor off rhythm with a foul and sub 50-footer. He required a solid, fair jump on his third jump to advance among the top eight's three final jumps.
On the runway Pullen was inspired from solid to spectacular after seeing teammate Jarrion Lawson win the 100-meter dash.
Geopfert said Pullen watched Jarrion win the 100, and said: " 'I am going to win this triple jump now!'
"It became a perfect storm when he got a big gust of wind halfway down the runway and he was already jacked up and excited. That could have been the farthest jump of his life because it looked well over 56 feet, but that gust of wind just got him a little too close and he fouled."
Pullen didn't score in the triple jump. Florida survived 62-56 over the runnerup Razorbacks.
Geopfert blamed himself for not rushing to settle Pullen's competitive juices.
"After the NCAA I told myself I have to do better," Geopfert said. "I have to coach him better because Clive is such a fantastic athlete who does everything right. If you told him 'Running through this brick wall will make you better,' then he would run through this brick wall."
Figuratively, at least, Pullen becomes the first Jamaican in 44 years to hop, step and jump through one.
Sports on 07/04/2016