Claye's approach carries lessons for preps
By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor
Will Claye has watched Youtube video of Jonathan Edwards' world record triple jump from 1995 over and over and over.
"I watch it all the time," Claye said Thursday during a press conference at The Armory in New York. "I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched it. Over a hundred times. Probably way more than that. It is something I watch and try to pick apart to see how he did it."
Not only that, Claye established a connection with Edwards and stays in touch with him through social media.
Claye has accomplished much in the jumps at a young age and isn't so far removed from high school that he is above offering advice.
At 22, Claye is the Olympic silver medalist in the triple jump and bronze medalist in the long jump. With a little more maturity, speed, and strength, he'd like to try and become the first man to win both horizontal jumps at the same Olympics in 2016.
"I'm still growing into a man," Claye said "I still feel like a boy (sometimes)."
That may be so, but Claye also had the maturity to step into college as a 17-year-old. Claye was already a two-time Arizona state champ in the triple jump at Mountain Pointe High School when he graduated early and entered the University of Oklahoma in early 2009. That spring, he won the NCAA triple jump title for the Sooners on his 18th birthday.
Even by that time, Claye was a student of his event. He studied videos of the greats in the sport. Willie Banks. Al Joyner. Kenny Harrison. Edwards.
"I'm a student of the triple jump before anything," Claye said. "That's helped me see technically what I need to do."
Claye called himself a "decent" sprinter, with a 100-meter PR of 10.5. His first event as a middle school track athlete was the 80-meter hurdles.
He might not have found jumping at all if it hadn't been for a local track coach spotting Claye running circles around the other athletes on the football field.
"When he got me to track practice and I loved it, I never turned back," Claye said.
Today, he has PRs of 58-1 in the triple jump, 26-10.50 in the long jump.
The student in Claye knows that it's been more than 22 years since Mike Powell broke the world record in the long jump. And in the last few years, no American has come close.
Claye sees opportunities for U.S. preps in the jumps.
"A lot of people are capable of doing it even if they don't know it, and a lot of people that could be really good at it," he said. "So definitely give it a shot and allow yourself (the chance) to learn the technique and be the student of that particular event. Especially in the women's triple jump, that's an event (the U.S.) has been lacking (talented performers) for a while. I definitely think those ladies should get out there and try the triple jump and maybe you'll be the one to resurrect the women's triple jump in the U.S."
