MOSCOW, Russia – With just one jump remaining to secure a spot in his first career long jump final at the World Championships, Jamaican international and LSU alum Damar Forbes soared 26 feet, 1 ½ inches on his final attempt of Wednesday’s qualifying round to move into seventh place and earn his spot in the final at Luzhniki Stadium.
Forbes managed a top jump of 25-6 through the first two rounds as he stepped onto the runway for his third and final attempt in 14th place overall with just one jump remaining.
That’s when the reigning SEC Outdoor and NCAA Outdoor champion hit the board and soared 26-1 ½ (-0.5) to catapult himself into the Top 12 of the final standings in the qualifying round in seventh place overall. Those athletes either hitting the automatic qualifying mark of 26-7 or finishing among the Top 12 overall in Wednesday’s prelims earned their spot in Friday’s long jump final to be held at 10:30 a.m. CT.
Forbes, who graduated from LSU in May with his degree in sport administration, is a finalist on the world’s stage for the first time in his young career after also competing for Jamaica in the long jump when earning 20th place at the 2011 IAAF World Championships held in Daegu, South Korea, and 19th place at the 2012 Olympic Games held in London, England.
Forbes capped his collegiate career in 2013 by sweeping SEC Outdoor and NCAA Outdoor titles as one of the premier long jumpers to ever wear the LSU uniform. A six-time All-American and six-time All-SEC athlete for his four seasons at LSU, Forbes’ wind-legal seasonal best jump of 27-0 ¾ is also a personal record as he is the world’s No. 11-ranked long jumper for 2013.
Thursday’s action at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Athletics will feature Jamaican international and Lady Tiger alum Nickiesha Wilson in the women’s 400-meter hurdles final at 11:45 a.m. CT, as well as a couple of reigning NCAA champions in preliminary rounds as Jamaica’s Natoya Goule runs the women’s 800 meters at 12:55 a.m. CT and USA’s Kimberlyn Duncan lines up in the women’s 200 meters at 1:55 a.m. CT.
Time Schedule for LSU Entries at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Note: Times are Central and subject to change based on round-by-round qualifying
Thursday, August 15
TV Coverage: LIVE on Universal Sports (12:30-3 a.m. CT); LIVE on Universal Sports (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT)
12:55 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters Heats (Natoya Goule)
1:55 a.m. – Women’s 200 Meters Heats (Kimberlyn Duncan)
10:45 a.m. – Women’s 200 Meters Semifinals (Kimberlyn Duncan)
11:45 a.m. – Women’s 400 Hurdles Final (Nickiesha Wilson)
Friday, August 16
TV Coverage: LIVE on Universal Sports (12:30-3 a.m. CT); LIVE on Universal Sports (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT)
2:30 a.m. – Women’s 4×400 Relay Heats (Rebecca Alexander)
10:30 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump Final (Damar Forbes)
11:15 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters Semifinals (Natoya Goule)
12:15 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters Final (Kimberlyn Duncan)
Saturday, August 17
TV Coverage: LIVE on NBC (11-11:30 a.m. CT); TAPE-DELAY on NBC (1:30-3 p.m. CT); TAPE-DELAY on Universal Sports (8-9:30 p.m. CT)
10:30 a.m. – Women’s 4×400 Relay Final (Rebecca Alexander)
Sunday, August 18
TV Coverage: TAPE-DELAY on NBC (1:30-3 p.m. CT); TAPE-DELAY on Universal Sports (6-7:30 p.m. CT)
7:50 a.m. – Men’s 4×100 Relay Heats (Richard Thompson)
8:50 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters Final (Natoya Goule)
9:40 a.m. – Men’s 4×100 Relay Final (Richard Thompson)