The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LEEVAN “Superman” Sands seems to be peaking at the right time as he prepares to go after another medal in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Competing as the lone Bahamian at the Meeting Areva in Paris Saint-Denis, France, on Friday, Sands soared a season’s best of 17.23 meters or 56-feet, 6 1/2-inches. The winning performance came on his second attempt, but Sands said he was hoping that he would have been pushed further by the competition.

“It was a great performance. I only took two jumps, so it wasn’t like I had to take a bunch of jumps to get that big jump,” he said. “I’m coming into top form at the right time. I was hoping the guys would have jumped further than they did, but after I didn’t see anybody do anything, I just decided to pass until somebody did something so I can save my legs.”

Sands’ nearest competitor was Karl Taillepierre of France, who did 16.84. Harold Correa, also from France, was third with 16.76m (55-0). Jadel Gregório of Brazil came in fourth with 16.39m (53-9 1/4), but Cubans Alexis Copello (15.91m or 52-2 1/2) and Arnie David Girat (15.41m or 50-6 3/4) were seventh and 10th respectively..

Sands, the bronze medallist in the last Olympics in Beijing, China in 2008, said he was looking forward to having some challenge.

“I finally don’t have to worry about my knee as much as I used to,” he said. “It has given me a lot of confidence seeing that I could do that on my second jump. I knew that I had a lot of big jumps in me when I was home at the Nationals, so I know the jumps are there.

“I just have to learn to stop fouling my jumps. I’m still working on my approach from the 18 steps, so it’s working out real well for me.”

Sands, who turns 31 during the Games in London on August 16, will remain in France to comwpete in another meet on Tuesday (Bahamian Independence Day) where he hopes to just take one jump. Then he will compete in the Crystal Palace Meet on July 14 before he goes into the Bahamas’ training camp that opens on July 16.

Meanwhile on Saturday, veteran sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie worked her way back from an injury that prevented her from competing at the BAAA Scotiabank National Open Track and Field Championships last month.

Competing at the 30th Meeting de Atletismo Madrid in Spain, 36-year-old Ferguson-McKenzie ran to a sixth place finish in the women’s 200 meters in 23.67. The race was won by Schillonie Calvert in 22.68, followed by her Jamaican compatriot Anneisha McLaughlin in 22.70. Tameka Williams of St Kitts and Nevis was third in 22.85.