February 20, (THEWILL) – A controversial proposal to eliminate foul jumps from the long jump event is set to face its first real test later this year, the sport’s global governing body has revealed.
Unveiling the plan on Tuesday, World Athletics Chief Executive Jon Ridgeon explained his belief that the discipline needs urgent reform to boost its appeal amid growing concern over the high number of no-jumps currently marring competitions.
“At the World Championships in Budapest last summer, a third of all the jumps recorded no distance after athletes overstepped the take-off board,” Ridgeon outlined in a podcast interview. “So we’re looking at bringing in a take-off zone rather than a board to make sure every single jump counts towards the final results. That would add to the jeopardy and drama for fans watching.”
There is also a focus on speeding up the process of determining valid jumps. “We’re working out ways of getting instant results so you don’t have to wait before the measurement comes up,” Ridgeon added.
While the concept is due to be put to the test with several leading long jumpers over the coming months, Ridgeon stressed no firm decisions have yet been taken. Any global introduction is unlikely before 2026 at the earliest. Yet, the early opposition has already been fierce, with legendary American long jumper Carl Lewis among those quick to pour scorn on what he termed an “April Fool’s joke” that threatens to “eliminate the most difficult skill” from his event.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
