Hickling ready to take on more competitions

Now that long jumper Tissanna Hickling has completed the final step to compete at athletics' flagship event, the IAAF World Athletics Championships, the GC Foster College student is focused on getting more competitions under her belt.

The 21- year-old, who leaped to 6.82 to beat the qualifying mark of 6.72 on the first day of June, retained her long jump title at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Senior Championships with a jump of 6.78 metres last weekend to cement her spot on Jamaica's team to the Doha World Championships.

GRATEFUL

But the former St Jago High School athlete wants to ensure that she does more than just compete at the event and is looking to jump against some of the best in the world before the Championships starts in late September.

"I am really grateful to come here and defend my national title. I started late in the season so the objective now is to try to compete more before World Championships and I think that will help me to go farther," she said.

Hicking's 6.82 ranks her ninth in the world now but she believes she has the potential to go over seven metres before September. "I am trying to jump seven metres but I want to continue to do what I have been doing and not do a lot of different stuff," she said. "I am going there to do my best, and, hopefully, I can come out victorious (at the World Championships ) as well."