Shakeema Welsch could not have hoped for a better atmosphere than the one surrounding her during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
"Aw, man, the crowd was just incredible," Welsch said Saturday. "Fans are very intimate. What I loved so much about it is it didn't take much to get the crowd involved, they knew what to do. This is the best thing we can actually hope for. From jump one I was just extremely energized."
The '99 Penn State graduate fed off that energy until her track spikes dug into the dirt. Ask her, and she'll say her 14.27 meter lunge in the triple jump felt natural.
"I was extremely excited," Welsch said. "I knew I left my trademark."
Soon after, though, reality set in when Welsch was informed her jump had a strong enough tail end wind to alter her legal distance. Because of that, Welsch technically did not qualify for the Olympics.
And though her shot at Beijing appeared to be over, Welsch was granted the opportunity to earn the third spot on the national team. Already meeting half the criteria for Beijing -- placing top-three at the trials -- Welsch has until July 23 to meet the Olympic standard, 14.20 meters. If she does, Welsch will join Shani Marks and Erica McLain in Beijing.
"That is my main focus right now," Welsch said. "I am humbly confident I am one of the best in the nation."
Welsch's legal personal best is 14.15 meters -- five centimeters shy of the standard. Welsch will travel to London soon to train for her July 23 deadline.
Welsch's husband, Jonas, said she needs to work on her technique, specifically her jump, hop and step approach.
Shakeema just missed making the Olympic team in 2004 when she also finished second at the trials. Then, she jumped 14.06 meters but
said she wasn't as strong or as sound with her technique. Devastated, Welsch questioned her place in the sport.
She moved to London to train with the world's top two triple jumpers, Jamaica's Trecia Smith and Sudan's Yamilé Aldama.
"Europe teaches you power and technique," Welsch said. "The United States teaches speed and strength because we don't have enough coaches to teach proper technique. That's something I have to struggle with."
After a month in London, Shakeema returned to the U.S. working in sales for up to 50 hours a week.
"That didn't go well at all," Shakeema said. "I missed the whole athletic experience because it challenges me in ways the corporate world didn't. Everything was redundant and not a challenge."
Shakeema trains with her husband's former coach, Randy Huntington. Huntington is an assistant jumps coach for Michigan State and is one of five United States Track and Field Master coaches in jumps. Huntington could not be reached for comment.
Shakeema began triple jumping her junior year at Penn State. Jonas said despite the sacrifices and uncertainty surrounding his wife's career a few years ago, she still considers herself a top jumper.
"You have to look at it from an athlete's perspective," Jonas said. "You're demanding or trying to teach your body something that involves mind, body, soul, so to speak, at an optimum."
Jonas said Shakeema had a couple years of training to gauge what she was capable of. She would train three-quarters of a year before she took three years off. Marks, the 2008 Olympic Trials triple jump champ, trains five years for this, Jonas said.
"We knew last year what was coming," Jonas said. "We didn't have too much time. We're at the beginning. [Shakeema's] jumping is what her body naturally does.
"Shakeema is someone who has muscles that are very fast twitching," Jonas added. "She's a speed jumper, she can become one of the faster triple jumpers in the world."
Jonas, originally from Germany, gave up his own Olympic dream to back his wife's because she was further along in her career.
"The biggest motivation is knowing I have a God-given talent," Shakeema said. "I really think that's my calling in life. I want to be the first American to surpass 15 meters, make the final round [in the Olympics] -- no American has ever made a triple jump final."
