Reuters
2 February 2001 – Moscow - A 'surprised' Jonathan Edwards leaped 17.60 metres in the men's triple jump to set the best indoor mark of the season on Thursday.
The British Olympic champion came from behind to beat Belarus's Alexander Glovatsky at the Governers Cup international athletics meeting in the Russian city of Samara, some 800 kms Southeast of Moscow.
"I'm very surprised with my performance tonight especially taking into account that I flew in just after midnight," Edwards told Reuters in a telephone interview from Samara.
"It wasn't an ideal situation for me but everything worked out well. This was only my second competition this season after I jumped 16.78 in Karlsruhe last Saturday."
He was a surprise entry at the event after taking a flight from Newcastle to London, then Moscow and finally to Samara.
But despite being jet-lagged and having little rest, Edwards was able to improve his results as the competition went along.
He leaped 16.89 metres on his first attempt, then added two centimetres on his next jump.
After again bettering that mark to 17.01 on his fourth try, the British world record holder suddenly found himself trailing Glovatsky, who followed with 17.06.
But the Belorussian held the lead only for a few minutes before Edwards clinched victory on his fifth attempt, coming just 23 centimetres short of the indoor world record.
Edwards said his recent form was encouraging for next month's world indoor championships in Lisbon.
"It certainly looks good although I have not made a firm decision yet whether or not I will go to Lisbon," he said.
"I probably will go but I'm a bit apprehensive about the surface out there. They are putting a wooden track for the championships and I just don't know how it will suit me."
