Porter fit to make her mark

DOHA, Qatar:

After impressing as a junior, Chanice Porter is finally about to compete on the big stage as she gets ready to make her senior international debut at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The 24-year-old was one of Jamaica’s most promising young athletes, winning repeatedly at Boys and Girls’ Champs and taking gold and bronze at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, France, in the long jump and high jump, respectively.

However, a string of injuries, including a major ankle issue, derailed her development and transition, but the former Manchester High School standout says that she is looking to produce a personal best here and create a solid platform to build on for the coming seasons.

“With a person (who) struggles with injuries over the years, it’s taking its time, but step-by-step ,it’s coming along, but over the years, I feel like I should have been there already, but based on my situation, I am grateful for where I am right now,” Porter shared.

“I am feeling great. I haven’t competed since Spain (August 25), so I am looking forward to competing, but overall, my body feels good, so, hopefully, I can go into competition and just perform the way my body feels,” Porter stated ahead of the women’s long jump qualifiers, which get under way at the Khalifa Stadium on October 5.

“Hopefully, I will get a PR (personal record). That’s the goal throughout the season. If I can hit the Olympic standard here in Doha, that will be a good thing for me,” she added.

With Tissana Hickling joining her in the women’s long-jump event and four other Jamaican jumpers on the team here in Doha, Porter believes that this is a clear indication that the island’s jumpers are making strides.

“It shows that jumping in Jamaica has been improving over the years, and that’s good because it’s good to see that other disciplines are at the forefront. It’s really good to see the jumpers doing so well in Jamaica,” Porter said.

Porter has, so far, had a jump of 6.73m in the event this season, just off her personal best of 6.75m, which she achieved last year in Athens, Georgia.