Thea Lafond has qualified as the first Dominican to jump 14.33 meters in the triple jump and secure a place to compete in the forthcoming 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The qualifying Olympic mark is 14.32 meters.
Lafond jumped 14.33 meters at the 2020 University of Albany Winter Classic Competition in New York to secure her place for the Olympic competition. In 2018, she jumped 13.92 meters and won the bronze medal for Dominica at the Commonwealth Games.
Lafond sustained some injury early last year and was not able to compete at the world championships as a result of the injury. However, she expressed profound joy that she was able to win the ticket to the Olympics despite her former injury. She said her medical rehabilitation helped her a lot to get back on her feet.
“I started rehab almost immediately after my injury, literally a few hours later…and just to be back at a place where I can feel like I can perform at this level and to feel like this is just the beginning, is truly a blessing,” she said.
She further stated that her core preoccupation at the moment is to hone her skills and raise the bar on her performance.
Billy Doctrove, president of the Dominica Olympic Committee, commended Lafond for her stellar performance despite her recent injury and stated that his association will offer any support necessary to facilitate her performance at the coming Olympic Games. He added that other athletes in Dominica should borrow a leaf from Lafond’s performance and be inspired to reach greater heights in their acts. According to Doctrove, Dominican athletes on the island should hail Lafond for her achievements and strive to qualify too for regional and international competitions.
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