Fabrice Lapierre wins Madrid long jump with 28-foot effort
Jul 05, 2009 | Track and Field
July 4, 2009
Madrid, Spain - Overcoming a pair of fouls to start the competition, Texas A&M graduate Fabrice Lapierre used a steady tailwind to sail out to a winning distance of 28-1.5 (8.57w) in the third round of the event and enjoyed a special Fourth of July in Europe.
Lapierre, who followed his massive leap with a fourth round effort of 27-4.75 (8.35), defeated the gold and silver medalist from the Beijing Olympics in the process.
Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of South Africa established an African record of 27-10.75 (8.50) behind Lapierre while Panama's Irving Saladino, the gold medalist at the 2008 Olympics and defending World champion, finished third with a windy best of 27-8 (8.43).
Arriving in Madrid a couple of days ahead of the meet, Lapierre missed a couple of training days when his luggage, which contained his spikes and training gear, was lost in transit. They arrived on the day of the meet.
Coming into the Madrid Grand Prix with a career best of 27-2.5 (8.29) from winning the Australian Championships back in March, Lapierre produced the longest jump ever by an Australian with his wind-aided leap past 28 feet (3.5 wind).
The previous best mark by an Australian was a distance of 27-10.25 (8.49) set by Jai Taurima in claiming silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Austrailia. The longest wind-aided mark by an Australian had been a distance of 27-10 (8.48) set by Peter Burge also in 2000.
Lapierre established a personal best in the fourth round with his wind legal mark of 27-4.75 (1.3 wind), which currently ranks seventh in the world for the 2009 season. His legal wind jump also ranks second on the Australia all-time list.
Leading the world standings in the long jump for a majority of the season, Lapierre currently has 47 points based on his performances on the Grand Prix circuit. Trailing him with 42 points is Mokoena.
Points accumulated during the Grand Prix season determine who qualifies for the World Athletic Final at the conclusion of the season. Lapierre advanced to the WAF last season and won the long jump along with a $30,000 prize.
