Triple jump sensation Jaydon Hibbert and Olympic champion hurdler Omar McLeod have now both been registered for the 2025 Jamaica National Championships, bolstering what is shaping up to be a high-stakes meet just ahead of the extended entry deadline for qualification to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
Hibbert’s registration is especially significant, as it marks his potential return to competition following knee surgery late last year. The 20-year-old World U20 champion and NCAA standout missed the entire indoor season and the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing as he recovered from a torn meniscus sustained at last year’s national championships after a bad landing in an under-prepared pit. Despite the injury, Hibbert competed at the Paris Olympics and finished fourth with a leap of 17.61m—just three centimetres shy of the bronze medal.
Under the guidance of Travis Geopfert at Kansas State University, Hibbert has been easing back into training. Geopfert confirmed earlier this year that Hibbert is progressing well. “Yeah, he's doing a great job, man. Doing all of his rehab, got his body strong, just kind of bulletproofing, and he just started, basically, cycle one of training right now,” said Geopfert. “He’s in a good place right now. He’s doing really, really good.”
Also eyeing a return to form is 2016 Olympic and 2017 World 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod, who has been steadily sharpening his form across Europe this season. McLeod’s 2025 campaign has included several promising performances, with his season-best of 13.25 seconds coming at the Savona International Meeting in Italy on May 21, albeit with a +2.6 m/s wind reading. He followed that up with 13.40 in Zagreb (May 24), 13.58 in Rome (June 6), and 13.42 in Hengelo (June 9), where he finished second at the prestigious FBK Games. Most recently, he clocked 13.52 to win at the Italian club finals in Brescia on June 14, after winning the 100m earlier that day in 10.36.
McLeod’s return to the national championships adds further intrigue to the 110m hurdles field. His recent consistency suggests he may be rounding into shape at just the right time, as he seeks to make another World Championships team after missing out on selection in recent years.
The Jamaica National Championships, set for June 26–29 at the National Stadium in Kingston, will serve as the official selection meet for the country’s team to the World Championships. For Hibbert, it’s a crucial step in his comeback from injury; for McLeod, it’s a renewed bid for global redemption.