Perinchief Aiming To Win Medal At CAC Games
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermuda triple jumper Jah-Nhai Perinchief said he is confident of adding to his medal collection when he competes at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Perinchief insists he will have his sights on gold when he stares down the runway towards the sandpit for his first jump in the triple jump final at the Estadio Nacional Jorge “El Màgico” Gonzàlez on July 7.
The 25-year-old aims to build on a superb first season as a professional athlete, winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and silver at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Senior Championships last summer.
“I’m going down there to win gold for Bermuda,” Perinchief told Bernews. “If I can put on a show for my country, I will always do my best.
“If I can go there and execute, I’ll be in firm medal contention. My goal at every meet is to win medals and set records.
“It will be great to meet up with the Bermuda athletes. I’m looking forward to watching those guys in action.”
Perinchief hopes to hit top form at the Games and will put the final touches to his preparations when he jumps at the Trackwired Arkansas Grand Prix this weekend.
A minor hamstring issue hampered him at the recent Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, where he finished sixth with a leap of 16.86 metres, and the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix at the Flora Duffy Stadium, where he came eighth, jumping 16.30.
“I’ve been trying to get my rhythm back after picking up a slight injury before Doha and a few inconsistencies in training,” he said.
“It wasn’t a big issue, just some scar tissue on my hamstring. I just wanted to get it cleaned and flushed out before returning to practice, which has been going well.
“I’m nowhere close to reaching my full potential. I’ve had some injuries over the years, and I’m slowly figuring out how to stay healthy.
“Once I get a full year of consistent training and keeping healthy, I will achieve a lot. I want to shock myself and the world!”
It promises to be a busy summer for Perinchief, who is looking to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August, and the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October and November.
“My main goal is to qualify for worlds, whether through ranking or hitting the standard [17.22],” he added. “I want to go there and give it my all.
“It’s a long season, but my coach [Travis Geopfert] is smart and knows how to keep me going through October.”
