SACREMENTO, Calif.-A 2016 Olympic qualifier last year, Jarrion Lawson returned to the outdoor national qualifier determined to make Team USA and successfully accomplished his goal.
Despite having relatively little 2017 competition tune-ups under his belt, due to his injury, Lawson opened the meet with an event-leading mark of 8.18m/26-10w. His first jump almost definitively guaranteed him a spot in the long jump
finals.
He went on to maximize the generous tailwind on three more occasions, marking a best of 8.49m/27-10 1/4w in the fifth round. "Just from the beginning I told myself I was ready to bounce back from the 100-meter dash," Lawson said. "This track meet was my first one being back at full speed so I told myself I'm just going get out there and have a good first jump and take off from there. Regardless of the wind, that was probably the best series I've ever had in a long time."
The 2016 Bowerman Award winner closed out his day with a wind-legal, world-qualifying mark of 8.27m/27-1 3/4 (wind-aided marks aren't accepted). He will head to London, England in August for the 2017 IAAF World Championships as the USATF outdoor long jump gold medalist.