Qualifying for one athletics event at the London Olympics is an outstanding achievement. And if you can manage two, then you are in the league of IAAF World Female Athlete of the Year Sally Pearson and dual Olympic walks medallist Jared Tallent.

World triple jump finalist Henry Frayne leapt into contention for a long jump /triple jump double act in London with an 8.27m long jump at the Sydney Track Class on Feb 18. 

“I was looking for that elusive 8 metre club so to jump 8.06 first up and then 8.27 after a few fouls, was really quite overwhelming,” Frayne, who had a personal best of 7.99m for four years, said after his performance in Sydney.

“Long jump isn’t my main focus so there is no pressure and I just let loose. My main focus for the domestic season has always been to get the 17.20m A qualifier in the triple,” Frayne said.

The 21-year-old’s 28 centimetre personal best, in an event he rarely trains specifically for, is the biggest jump in the world this year and makes him Australia’s greatest horizontal jumper ever - when combined with his triple jump personal best of 17.14m. 

Australia is the number one ranked nation in the world for men’s long jumping. Frayne has made the contest for securing selection at this weekend’s Olympic Trials even hotter as there are now four world class jumpers fighting for the remaining two spots.

Frayne’s training partner Mitchell Watt who is the World Championship silver medallist and Australian Record holder at 8.54m has already been nominated for one of the maximum three spots for London. Watt is returning from injury and is not jumping in Australia this summer.

Frayne now has the early jump on Commonwealth and World Indoor Champion Fabrice Lapierre (personal best 8.40m) and former World Junior Champion Robbie Crowther (personal best 8.12m).

“I was really happy to get a win over Fabrice, but he’s not long back from his training base in the States and a big time performer. I’m sure he’ll be back and jump the A qualifier [8.20m] soon.

“Robbie had some small fouls and big distances here. He’s got the A qualifier in there as well."

Frayne and Watt’s training partner Chris Noffke, who has a personal best of 8.33m from 2010, is on his way back from a torn calf and is another contender.

Frayne has always dreamt of earning an Olympic tracksuit. His uncle Bruce Frayne competed in the 400m at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and he wanted to be the second Olympian in his family.

He decided at the end of 2005 to pursue triple/long jump over AFL and won the triple jump and bronze in the long jump at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2007, before moving to Melbourne train with Vasily Grischenkov. He broke the Australian Junior Record at the World Junior Championships in 2008 and then moved to Brisbane to train with Bourne’s squad in 2009. 

Frayne and his coach Gary Bourne put his improved performance down to greater speed through his transition phase to take-off, something they have been working hard on with sports scientists and video analysts at the National Jumps Training Centre in Brisbane. They expect this to transition to the triple jump. 

Originally from Adelaide, Frayne moved to Brisbane from Melbourne two years ago to train with the legendary Bourne.

“Gary’s a magic man,” Frayne said. “Gary is super coach with a super squad.”

“I’ve been loving training up there. He’s really easy going and we work well together. It’s a good dynamic and great things will come out of it. He’s shown that with Mitch Watt and Chris Noffke.

"Bourne knew Frayne had a huge leap in him and expects bigger things ahead.  

"I wasn’t totally surprised by his 8.27. Last year he was between 8.10m and 8.20 before he bruised his heel and concentrated on qualifying for Worlds in the triple jump, where he finished ninth,” Bourne said.

“His training indicated he could jump well in the long jump. He is a smart boy and learns very quickly like Mitchell [Watt].

"For now Frayne’s priority will be the triple jump but he will try and do both when he can. He’ll double up at the Olympic Trials in Melbourne (Mar 2-4) and is selected for both at the World Indoors (Mar 9-12) in Turkey.  

“Henry’s going to get better and better in the triple jump. He’s capable of making the Olympic final this year with 17.30m. And 17.80 or .90 will take a bit longer. Triple jump is very technical and requires a greater deal of maturity. Athletes generally peak late 20s or early 30s.

“It’s a great position to be in if you can qualify in both and all the more remarkable for his age,” Bourne said. 

“There are two Americans Taylor and Claye who do both and the schedule for London is good with two days between the long jump final and the triple jump qualifying."

Bourne trained Olympic silver medallist Jai Taurima and Olympic finalist Peter Burge when they were younger, coached Bronwyn Thompson to fourth at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and has taken Watt to be the world leader.

“I always loved long jump and call myself a long jump /triple jumper but I thought for my career triple jump was the best path with so much depth in Australia for long jump. But who knows?” Frayne explained.

His breakthrough international performance could be only weeks away.

“I’m hoping I can do something special at World Indoors. I’m capable of a top five finish or perhaps have a go at top three.”

Andrew Reid
AOC