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• "I'm really pumped up" - Jaydon Hibbert using injury at 2023 World Championships as motivation for big showing in Paris

  World Under-20 Triple Jump record holder is looking to make up for his bad luck at last year’s World Championships in Budapest with a good performance in the Paris Olympics.

  The 19-year-old phenom entered last year’s World Championships as one of the best jumpers on the planet at the young age of 18 thanks to his World Under-20 record 17.87m he did to win the SEC Outdoor title in Baton Rouge last May.

  At the time of those World Championships, the former Kingston College standout had also produced jumps of 17.56m, 17.68m and 17.66m, making him one of the favorites for the gold medal.

  In the preliminary round of the triple jump in Budapest on August 19, Hibbert produced the furthest jump in qualifying with 17.70m to book a spot in the final scheduled for two days later.

  Unfortunately, during his first attempt, Hibbert stopped in his approach to the board with some discomfort in his hamstring.

  He was unable to attempt another jump and ended the final with no mark. He didn’t jump again that season.

  Now, one year later, Hibbert will get another opportunity to go toe-to-toe on the big stage with some of the best in the world at the Paris Olympics.

  “I’m just really excited and pumped up especially after last year in Budapest,” Hibbert told Nationwide 90FM on Friday, noting that his injury in Budapest made him depressed and sad for some time.

  “I have to forget what happened in Budapest because it literally broke me for months,” he said.

  “I was depressed and so sad but I had to get over it. Thank God for the confidence I have now and for the lessons that I’m learning now in the sport and it just makes me more hungry to give out my best,” he added.

  Going into these Olympics, Hibbert’s season’s best of 17.75m dome at the Racers Grand Prix on June 1 puts him third in the world this season behind Spain’s Jordan Diaz and Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo.

  Diaz and Pichardo put on one of the most thrilling triple jump duels ever at the European Championships in Rome in June.

  Both men went over 18m with Diaz winning gold with 18.18m, the third longest jump of all time, and Pichardo jumping 18.04m in second.

  If Hibbert wants to medal, there is a good chance he’ll have to at least surpass James Beckford’s national record of 17.92m done back in 1995.

  “Right now, I’m even more focused to go out there and give it my best. There may be uncertainties here and there but the biggest thing is to just trust what God has for you,” Hibbert said.

  Men’s triple jump qualification at the Olympics gets underway on Wednesday, August 7.

   

• Alcaraz and Nadal storm through first round of Olympic doubles

  Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal did not disappoint in their much-anticipated doubles debut as they battled through to the second round of the Paris Olympic Games.

  The Spaniards saw off Argentinian pair Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in straight sets 7-6 (6-4) 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes on Saturday.

  Alcaraz, who began the day with a victory in his singles debut, made a nervy start as he dropped his first serve, but Nadal soon helped to settle the nerves.

  They got the vital break in the next game, though there was little to separate the teams after that with a tie-break necessary to put Alcaraz and Nadal in front.

  Gonzalez and Molteni rallied in the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead, but could not prevent a fight back as Alcaraz and Nadal won the next three games.

  After another vital break for the Spaniards at 4-4, Nadal then served out the match to set up a meeting with either Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof or Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan of Hungary.

  Data Debrief: Living up to expectations

  It is the match-up that everybody was waiting for at the Olympics, and despite a sluggish start, Alcaraz and Nadal soon turned on the style.

  They hit 17 winners, and even though Alcaraz's first service game was not his usual best, they went on to win 46 of their 64 service points (72%).

• 'It is once in a lifetime' - Murray brands London 2012 gold pinnacle of career

  Andy Murray says winning the gold medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 was the pinnacle of his career.

  The Scot is playing in his final tournament at this year's Games in Paris and will be competing in doubles alongside Dan Evans.

  Murray is playing in his fifth Olympics and is the only male two-time gold medallist in singles having also taken the top prize at Rio 2016.

  He beat Roger Federer on home soil in straight sets in 2012, avenging a Wimbledon final defeat on the same court from a month earlier, before successfully defending his title four years later against Novak Djokovic.

  Murray also won three grand slams in his career, triumphing twice at Wimbledon and at the US Open, but he said claiming gold for Team GB is the best achievement of his career.

  "Winning the gold medal and obviously the silver in London is probably a big highlight," Murray told Eurosport. "Obviously Wimbledon was amazing but the way I felt that week [in London] meant the most to me.

  "I don't always like it on the court, I do find competing very stressful, but that week, I was so happy. I really enjoyed the whole week.

  "It is once in a lifetime to compete in an Olympics at home, and you know you're not going to get that opportunity again. Certainly made the most of it.

  "I was lucky to win a couple of medals and we were really close to getting gold in the mixed as well.

  "I did feel good going into that whole week I played. I felt like I was playing really, really well. I wasn't certainly sure I would win the final against Federer, but it was one of the best matches I've ever played, to be honest.

  "Everything seemed to click that week. I don't know why that was the case. But I wish I could have played like that more often."

  Following an injury-hit year, Murray will not be able to complete a hat-trick of gold medals in the singles, having withdrawn from that competition.

  Now, the 37-year-old is determined to make the most of his final-ever tournament as he aims for glory at Roland Garros for the first time.

  "I've been really lucky," Murray explained. "Athletes don't always acknowledge that side of things, but you need a lot of luck to hang around for that long.

  "There have been some amazing athletes who have played in five, six Olympics. I'm glad to do it one more time.

  "It's really different. It's amazing how just the change in the colours of the background can affect the feel of a place. Obviously, really familiar with Roland Garros and being in Paris, but the Olympics bring a different atmosphere.

  "We experienced that in London. It wasn't how Wimbledon usually is. It was a very different feel. I love that. And I hope the French people come out and support and create a brilliant atmosphere there."