Akela Jones sets new Barbados long jump record

Barbados’ Akela Jones continues to rewrite the pages of history, this time setting a new National Record in the women’s long jump with a distance of 6.80m.

Jones was competing at the 2021 Chula Vista Field Festival on May 29, 2021 and finished 6th with her effort in an impressive field of athletes.

Her new record came on her fourth attempt, however she had already surpassed the previous National Record on her third attempt, which measured 6.79m. But a wind of +2.6 m/s meant it would not have been legal, so her very next attempt she showed she was ready to rewrite the record books.

Jones held the previous record of 6.75m set in 2016.

She narrowly missed out on the Olympic qualifying mark for the long jump for women, which currently stands at 6.82m.

The winner of the long jump was Ese Brume from Nigeria, who set a new National Record and world leading distance of 7.17m. (CG)