Sky's the limit for Porter, says coach

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Kerrylee Ricketts, the man who has aided the development of two of Jamaica's most promising jumpers, Rochelle Farquharson and Chanice Porter, believes that the pair represent a bright future for the island.

He is particularly expectant of his current charge, Porter, and he intends to get her ready for next year's Olympic Games in London, England.

Ricketts, who is now in Miramar, Florida, as part of the coaching team at the Junior Pan American Championships, coaches Porter at Manchester High School, and also worked with Farquharson during his time at the St Elizabeth Technical High school (STETHS).

Farquharson is also in Florida, where she will be competing in both the long and triple jumps at the Junior Pan American Championships.

She is currently enrolled at the Mississippi State University, after she took up a scholarship earlier this year, ending a dominant run in local high-school jumping, having only lost once in the triple jump event during her time at STETHS. Farquharson also represented Jamaica at the IAAF World Youth Champion-ships in Italy two years ago, the same year she turned out for the country at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore.

special athlete

The STETHS athlete is certainly special, but Ricketts is now focusing on Porter, and he believes that the recently crowned IAAF World Youth Championships long jump champion has what it takes to challenge for a spot on Jamaica's team to London.

"The sky is the limit for Chanice (Porter), she is a special athlete and has tremendous ability, and we are not getting ahead of ourselves but we will be going into next season with the Olympics in mind," said Ricketts.

Porter, who has a personal best of 6.43m, which she posted as a 15-year-old at last year's ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championships, mined gold in Lille, France, a few weeks ago with a 6.22m mark on her last attempt. Considering her scope for improvement, Porter's personal record certainly puts her among the challengers to the island's top current long jumper, Jovanee Jarrett, whose best mark is 6.75m posted two years ago. She has gone 6.65m so far this season. Farquharson jumped her personal best 6.48m earlier this season in Greece.

Speaking of Porter, Ricketts noted, "I know where she is right now and I am expecting her to go even further next season. She just needs to keep working hard, she is young and she is still developing, and once she remains focused and keeps working hard she will improve."

Interestingly, Porter, who also won a bronze medal in the high jump at the IAAF World Youth Championships, prefers this event as opposed to the long jump, but Ricketts is confident that his young charge will soon realise that her greater promise lies in the horizontal jump.

"I wasn't surprised with what she did in the long jump because, as her coach, I know that it's her better event. She herself prefers the high jump, but in time she will appreciate her talents and potential in the long jump," Ricketts said.