by Stuart Weir
Marquis Dendy won the Long Jump in Birmingham, that is a fact. However, his fashion style, described by our own Stuart Weir, was what caught the media’s attention. Stuart noted his “sartorial elegance.” The Mirror UK, a British newspaper, noted the article as ” Long jump star claims world indoor win while wearing a balaclava and bucket hat.”
I can say no more.
Well, perhaps one query? Will he make the cover of GQ?
Men’s Long Jump
Marquis Dendy not only won the long jump competition at the final of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series in Birmingham, UK, on Saturday, but he also did it with style and sartorial elegance! With one foul and a “worst” jump of 7.98, he had four 8 meter leaps including a final round of 8.28. Tajay Gayle, Jamaica’s 2019 world champion, was second with 8.13 and William Williams (USA) was third with 8.03.
Dendy, the 2016 world indoor gold medallist, said afterward: “I had a few hamstring problems during the tour, but I’ve kept going and this is where I wanted to be. I still needed to finish the job today which I did. The crowd really helped me at the end there. It was so loud and matched my heartbeat perfectly. Looking ahead to the outdoor season, it is the same thing; keep improving and look after my body. I need to hit my PRs regularly and early in the season”. He added that securing the win with the final jump is “what I have been practicing for”.
Finally – and what you really wanted to know – about the hat, “I am a hat guy and now, after today, it has become my lucky hat so it will be following me to the outdoor season for sure”.
While Dendy won on the day, it was Thobias Montler, only sixth in Birmingham, who took the tour title, the money, and wild-card entry into next year’s World Indoors. He won the tour title thanks to his performances in Torun, Lievin, and Madrid – in Birmingham, a 7.63. He commented: “I already knew that I had won the tour so today it was all about practice. Today didn’t matter, as I was focusing on the European Indoors next week. I have a great trophy to take home with me today even if I would have liked to have jumped better. I have two European silver medals in the backpack, so I am really going to try and make that a gold. My body and mind are ready for it”.
