07 August 2010

Paralympic Games bronze medallist Stefanie Reid has jumped to a new F44 World Record in the Long Jump with a lifetime best of 5.05m (+0.2m/s) in the McCain JumpsFest at Barnet Copthall in London today (Saturday 7 August), subject to ratification.

The US-based athlete, who finished third over 200m in the 2008 Beijing Games, has already achieved the IPC World Championships ‘A’ qualification standard for the long jump courtesy of a 4.85m effort in the UKA Disability Athletics Challenge Series in Knowsley (Liverpool) in May.

She recorded 4.83m in round two today before achieving the new World best and World Championships ‘A’ mark in round three – her first time in excess of 5.00m – to erase the previous best of 5.04m by Marie Amelie Le Fur (France) in 2007. It was also proof that it’s not just the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team members from Barcelona that are laying down markers for 2012.

“I have had such an issue with fouling and an inconsistent run up but I just tried not to think about it today,” said the Dan Pfaff coached athlete who will now be highly confident in the countdown to the IPC World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011.

“I’m thrilled, but it’s something that’s been hovering in the back of my mind as I jump that far quite frequently in practice.”

Reid, who is now primarily based out of the UKA National Performance Centre at Lee Valley in London, will return to the capital when she lines up in the final event of the 2010 UKA Disability Athletics Challenge Series at Crystal Palace, London on Sunday 15th August, where she’ll be targeting World Championships qualifying standards over 100m and 200m in a bid to score a trio of podium finishes on the global stage next year.

“I PB’d over 100m in Canada earlier in July so I know I’m in good shape, but time is running out to achieve those standards on the track so the pressure is really on me to perform at Crystal Palace,” she said when she announced her participation in the event.

“2011 will be my second World Championships and I can’t wait to get out there. I’ve enjoyed medal success with my third place finish in Beijing, but I want to build on that and experience what it feels like to stand on the top of the podium.”

For full results of the McCain JumpsFest and ThrowsFest please visit: http://www.athletic-uk.net/fest2010/results.htm

A full event report will follow.