Kelly jumps to fourth in island all-time list
JORDAN KELLY has leapt right into fourth on Guernsey’s all-time long jump list – and also into Island Games medal contention – with a breakthrough ‘Southerns’ performance.
Lifted by classy competition in Bedford, the 20-year-old jumped a technically superb 6.78m on the fifth competitive round to end the day with a 40cm improvement on his previous best.
This was the cherry on top of a series in which he had peppered the 6.50m mark, though his final effort ended with a foul.
Kelly claimed a very respectable fifth in the overall standings.
While he has been one of the island’s leading horizontal jumpers in recent years, he previously did not feature in Guernsey’s top-20 for the discipline.
In producing the furthest jump by a Sarnian since 2013, he has ignited his hopes of a medal out in Gibraltar.
Although, as Kelly admits, it will all come down to the day.
‘It was a bit of a surprise to jump it this early after coming back,’ he said afterwards.
‘I’ve certainly jumped past my expectations of what I thought I could do and it’s a really good start – I’m going to push on for a medal in Gibraltar.
‘You do not know who’s going to turn up, so hopefully it’s in my favour, but we’ll see what will happen on the day.
‘To be fourth on the Guernsey all-time list is something I did not expect.’
More in Tuesday's Guernsey Press.
