22.09.2009

Lapierre on top of the world

Australian long jump sensation and reigning World Athletics Final title-holder Fabrice Lapierre takes centre stage in the latest issue of Spikes magazine.

If the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games need confirmation of how hosting the Olympics can have a positive impact on the population, Fabrice Lapierre’s story should warm their hearts.

At just 16, the promising young athlete was asked if he would like to act as a volunteer in his home city of Sydney for the 2000 Games.
 
Lapierre leapt at the chance and was given the role of media runner, handing results to the world’s press at the Olympic Stadium.

He witnessed first-hand Cathy Freeman’s Olympic 400m victory, marvelled at Maurice Greene's accomplishments in the 100m dash and saw his countryman Jai Taurima land the silver medal in a stunning long jump competition.

It was an experience to die for. And it certainly acted as the best possible inspiration.

“I think it was two months later I won all the events at the Australian nationals – triple jump, long jump and the 100m,” he said.

Since those Games nine years ago Lapierre has gradually cemented his position among the elite of world long jumping. In 2006 he won his first major senior medal – a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne – and earlier this year jumped a massive wind-aided 8.57m in Madrid and official personal best mark of 8.35m.

Hang on a minute: while Lapierre’s progress is unquestionable, isn’t there something, well, very un-Australian about his surname? It sounds more St Etienne than Sydney.

So what’s the story?

“I was born in Mauritius,” the softly-spoken Lapierre said.

“I moved to Australia when I was two. My parents speak fluent French. I don’t really speak French but I understand everything.”

Lapierre began his sporting life as a passionate Manchester United-supporting soccer player in New South Wales, but that quickly gave way to athletics when he discovered a raw ability to sprint and jump. National schoolboy titles followed and on his first major international appearance he landed a silver medal at the 2002 world junior championships in Jamaica.

Lapierre headed to the United States to further his long jump career and wound up at College Station in Texas, where he studied business management and refined his jumping technique.

But how did the Aussie adapt to life in the US?

“It was a big move but life there is pretty similar,” Lapierre said of the two countries.

“When I first went there I was a little bit of a novelty and they wanted to talk to me because of my accent. People still ask where I’m from. Sometimes they say Australia but sometimes they guess at England for some reason.”

In 2005 he jumped over eight metres for the first time in his career with a wind-aided 8.15m to land the prestigious NCAA title. Nine months later he again showed the ability to handle high-pressured occasions when he won Commonwealth bronze in front of a passionate home crowd in Melbourne.

But injury and a loss of form meant he struggled to make an impact in 2007 and last year failed to qualify for the final at the Beijing Olympic Games.

“After failing to qualify for the final I thought from then on I’ve got to do better and make the finals in Berlin,” he said.

Under coach Jim Vanhootegem he has made great progress and in August achieved his aim of making the world titles final, eventually placing fourth. Besides the Australian national title he claimed in March he has posted impressive wins at the Madrid and Athens Grands Prix and World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki (GRE).

Lapierre, who together with countryman Mitchell Watt is setting the long jump world alight, is at a loss to explain why Australia is thriving in the long jump but is full of respect for Watt’s accomplishments. “He’s really fast and he's got a lot of speed so he's always capable of jumping far,” he said.

Another aim for Lapierre is the Australian record of 8.49m set by Taurima at the 2000 Olympic Games.

While Taurima had an unusual approach to training, which included smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and nightclubbing until the early hours, Lapierre shuns that lifestyle for a more disciplined approach. The two jumpers do, however, share one common trait – a fondness for going to bed late.

“I go to bed pretty late every night,” Lapierre said.

“I can’t get up early and if I get to bed before 2am I just can’t sleep.”

Lapierre will hope he is not caught napping in the race to become the new Australian long jump record-holder.

With thanks to spikesmag.com