AKELA JONES just keeps jumping further and setting more records.
Her latest record-breaking feat came at the Big 12 Championships in Manhattan on Saturday when she leapt a career-best 6.75 metres in the long jump.
The personal best not only surpassed the Olympic qualifying standard but, pending ratification by the Athletics Association of Barbados, will be a new national senior record.
Even before the meet, Jones, who is on an athletic scholarship at Kansas State University, was optimistic about success.
“I want to put my name in the record books as one of the best athletes in the Big 12, if not the best athlete in the Big 12…I want to follow my indoor form and put up phenomenal numbers,” she said.
Her coach at Kansas Cliff Rovelto was full of praise for the Barbadian, who has already qualified for the Summer Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
“She has improved in everything. There is not a single event or ability where she hasn’t improved from last year. She is stronger, she is faster, her stamina has improved. She has set new personal bests at all of her individual events,” Rovelto said.