JuVaughn Harrison Wins Two Impressive Titles And Is Headed To The Olympics
JuVaughn Harrison has officially stamped his ticket to Tokyo after winning two U.S. titles on Sunday (June 27), also placing himself in history.
Harrison won the high jump with a clearance of 7’7.75” during the afternoon and returned to compete in the long jump about six hours later, winning that with a career best of 27’9.50”.
The 22-year-old nicknamed “Mr. Jumps,” hasn’t lost a high jump competition since March 30, 2019, which inbetween, includes 15 straight competitions.
WIth his double qualification, Harrison becomes the first man in U.S. history since Jim Thorpe (1912) to represent Team USA in both the long jump and high jump at the Olympics.
"It means a lot," he said, according to USA Today. "That's a lot of years, for somebody not to do it."
Harrison, a member of the Louisiana State University track team, has also blown away his school’s competition, winning six NCAA titles, which is far more than anyone else who has competed at the university.
Harrison is proving also that he is skilled in the method of performing his events. High jumping and long jumping are very different from one another as the former requires mastering of a technique known as “the Fosbury Flop,” in which athletes leap backwards over a bar. Long Jumpers must build up speed on a long runway and then throw themselves forward into a sand pit.
Even different types of shoes are needed to jump effectively in each competition.
"Whereas in high jump I have to be more bouncy, more upright, in long jump I get to sprint out and push a lot harder," Harrison explained. "It's a very big difference between the two. Technically, it's not very easy to do both."
