Frayne leaps into frame

Injury-plagued jumper notches personal best

THERE was a time when the Commonwealth Games was not high on Henry Frayne’s agenda — six or seven years ago when he was a remarkably talented triple and long jumper with the even broader athletics world seemingly at his feet.

But the intervening years have been cruel to the Queenslander, who has suffered more injuries than he cares to remember.

This year alone, he has battled groin, calf and hamstring problems. As recently as the national trials in February, he withdrew at short notice from the final after feeling a twinge.

The notoriously taxing triple jump was dropped from his schedule a long time ago.

But what has he kept him going when most athletes would have hung up the spikes are the moments when everything comes together.

The qualifying round of the Commonwealth Games long jump yesterday morning was one of them.

With his first and only jump, Frayne soared out to 8.34m — smashing his sixyear-old PB of 8.27m and the Games record of 8.30m set by countryman Fabrice Lapierre in 2010.

“That wasn’t a 100 per cent jump for me, it was pretty cruisy,” he said. “Hopefully I can add a bit more (tonight).

“It’s been frustrating to still be defined on paper by my 8.27 mark in 2012, which would have been about my third senior professional long jump comp ever.

“My coach, my physios, my manager, we’ve known things were improving but I haven’t been able to time it right until — hopefully — now.”

In the 32 hours between the qualifying round and tonight’s final Frayne will focus on recovery and “pretty much go out and chill”.

“If anything it will be more emotionally draining than physically,” he said.

In between the seemingly endless run of injuries, he has finished ninth and seventh at the past two Olympic Games — both of which were below his expectations.

Right now, a Commonwealth title in front of a home crowd would mean so much more than he had expected.

Also through to the final are reigning world champ and Rio Olympics silver medallist Luvo Manyonga, from South Africa, and Australians Lapierre and Chris Mitrevski.