Smock Reflects on World Championships

Upon returning from Daegu, South Korea where she competed in the IAAF World Track and field Championships, USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock took some time to reflect the experience in this exclusive Down the Backstretch interview. Smock (pictured) didn't advance to the finals in Daegu but is already looking ahead to 2012, an Olympic year.

Down the Backstretch: Can you set the scene of the competition and walk us through your jumps at the World Championships?

Amanda Smock: The competition took place during a morning session on the 4th day (of nine) of the meet. The stadium was enormous, the largest I have ever competed in. There were two flights of 17 jumpers, both flights competed at the same time in side by side pits. We had three attempts and the top 12 jumpers would advance to the finals held two days later.

I felt really good and as you can imagine, had a lot of adrenaline. My 1st jump was the best attempt of the day but I fouled - it would not have been enough to make the finals so not a huge deal except mentally, it would've been nice to start off with a good mark. My second and third attempts were pretty similar in technique. In both jumps I made the mistake of rushing through the take off board and getting too high on my hop. Pretty frustrating competition, but keeping in mind the big picture, it was pretty amazing to be competing on that stage … in the World Championships.

DtB: In the end, did the result seem like a near-miss -- i.e., a performance similar to Eugene or Chula Vista could have put you in the finals -- or that there's a gulf you need to bridge to be a finalist at this level?

Smock: Had I completed jumps that were technically better – or equal to those I jumped at US nationals or in Chula Vista, I would’ve made the finals. Instead I had really poor attempts. After watching the video of my jumps I was able to see the mistakes I was making and of course now I would like a re-do! All I can do is learn from it, move on and not make the same mistake in the future. If I can get more consistency in my jumps, I can be in a position to make finals.

DtB: I'm curious to know your impressions of jumping with the best triple jumpers world. Did it seem similar to jumping, say, at a USA Championships or did Worlds feel like clearly another level?

Smock: Competing at Worlds brought back to memories of my first year at the US championships. I remember the feeling of being so happy just to be competing at the meet, a little bit star-struck and a little bit intimidated by the call room procedures. In that sense, it was similar to Worlds. Thankfully, each experience makes being in the position more comfortable than the time before. At my next major competition, I suspect I’ll be a lot more comfortable than I was this time around.

DtB: Did you watch the finals?

Smock: I did watch the finals and was really happy I had the opportunity to do so.

DtB: This was your first time representing the USA internationally. Can you describe what it's like wearing the USA uniform and being part of the USA contingent at the meet?

Smock: In a few words, I was honored and very proud to be competing for the US and to be wearing the US uniform. The USA is definitely recognized as the best track team in the world so to be a member of the team was pretty incredible. The fans got pretty excited to see and meet US athletes so there were plenty of "photo ops" to be had.

DtB: What was the city of Daegu like? Did you have any opportunities to see more of the city than just the stadium and the hotel?

Smock: Daegu definitely had a big city feel to it. It felt a lot like New York to me but was surrounded by beautiful green mountains. I was able to venture outside the athlete village a few times and ate at some cute restaurants where we sat on the floor and ate Korean cuisine. Inside the village, the organizing committee arranged for daily cultural events with traditional dance performances, games, and art displays, a convenient way to be a part of the Korean culture without having to travel outside of the village.

DtB: Next year, of course, is an Olympic year. With the 2011 season in the books, do you find yourself already looking ahead to the next season, the Trials, and the Olympic Games?

Smock: I gets me pretty excited to know the Olympic year is finally here. I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming season, specifically about training plans - things to keep in place, changes to make to improve my performances and how to plan out my competition schedule. In a few weeks I'll be attending a "jumps summit" hosted by USA track and field where a lot of time will be spent doing these things. Come October 1st, I'll be ready to start training.

DtB: If there's one key for you for making the Olympic team, what do you think that is?

Smock: Good question. If I could boil it down to one key piece, I would say improving the hop (1st phase) of my jump including everything from the takeoff to the arm action, as well as the hop landing. Much of the jump success is determined in this phase - if you don't execute the technique well, things go downhill pretty quickly. Sounds pretty simple on paper, fix the hop - make the Olympic team. I'll give it a shot!

Photo by Randy Miyazaki/TrackandFieldPhoto.com.