Porter to Focus Solely On Long Jump

Photo: Chanice Porter (courtesy georgiadogs.com)

Having showed good athletic versatility during her junior athletic career, former Manchester High standout and reigning NCAA Long Jump champion Chanice Porter has cut ties with the High Jump to focus solely on establishing a successful Long Jump career.

The University of Georgia athlete made the revelation on Friday night after securing another national long jump title. Porter who cut the sand at 6.59m to win the national title explained why she has parted ways with one of the events she did well in as a junior.

“Indoors I did the high jump and got a PR, but coach has retired me from the high jump, because it was throwing off my long, hence he retired me,” she said. “I am satisfied with the decision, because once my Long Jump is not being affected I’m fine.”

Her coach is University of Georges head field events martial Petros Kyprianou; he has been steadily helping her on her way back from surgery in 2013 to remove bone spurs from her ankle.

Porter won the World Youth title back in 2011 in the High Jump before snatching the bronze medal in the long jump at the same championship. She has also done well at the World Junior Championships, with her best showing in 2012, where she finished fourth in long jump and 13th in the High Jump finals.

Since moving to college in the USA, the 22 year old athlete has earned bronze at the NCAA Championships in the long jump and recently obliterated her PR in the long jump at the 2016 NCAA Championship, winning the title with 6.67m. That mark is just shy of the 6.70m needed to reach the Rio Olympic Games.

Her personal best of 1.84m would have given her second place at the 2016 National Senior Championships, where Kimberly Williamson won with 1.86m. Williamson is also the reigning NCAA champion in the High Jump. Looking back at her competition on the night, Porter was grateful for what she obtained on the night.

“It was a good competition. Not really what I expected, but I think I have had a good season, so I can’t complain about that. I had a major injury and I am now recovering. So I am not complaining.”

Having missed another shot at qualifying for Rio Olympics Porter is not yet sure if she will be heading to the NACAC U23 Championship or if she will put a cap on her season. She is trusting her coach to make that decision.

“I am not sure. It depends on what my coach wants for me. When I get back to school I’ll talk to him and he will decide what he wants me to do,” she explained.

The 2016 Second Team Indoor All-American (High Jump) and three time (2014, 2015, 2016) first time Indoor All-American Long Jump winner is optimistic that long jumping in Jamaica will get to the top level where it needs to be. She is ready to lead the charge and is hoping the young athletes, including National Junior champion Tissana Hickling, who finished fourth on Friday, will be able to go all the way.

“Well for me it took long for me to transition. It took me like four years. But these guys have been doing well. There is this girl, Hickling, she has been doing well. She just didn’t do so well today. But I have been hearing about her. Hopefully she can continue and transition and do even better than I did. I am looking to see her in the future,” she added.

Porter closed her high school career by winning the Class One high and long jumps, both in then personal best performances of 1.86m and 6.52m at the ISSA/GraceKennedy High School Athletics Championships.

She also broke the National Junior record of 6.53m held for 12 years by Nolle Graham when she jumped 6.58m in the long jump final at her final World Youth Championship.