High jumper Idiata switches to long jump

Nigeria's high jump champion Samson Idiata has decided to switch to long jump.

Idiata, a high jump gold medalist at the 9th All Africa in Algiers last July, told the press in Lagos on Saturday during a training session that he had a natural inclination for the long jump.

He said he was influenced by his family to do the high jump especially his elder brother, Tony, a former national champion.

"I have always dreamed of competing in the long jump because I have natural abilities for the event but competed in the high jump because of family influence," the 20-year-old jumper said.

He was preparing for next month's Mobil Track and Field Championships, where he hopes to make the qualifying Olympic standards, according to the report of the News Agency of Nigeria.

"I think that with the progress I am making, my desire is to make the 2008 Beijing Games in August this year... I have had enough of high jump. I wish to try my luck in the long jump, which has a special place in my heart and hopefully reach the Olympics."

Idiata cleared 2.10 meters to take the gold medal in Algiers. His best in the event remained the 2.15 meters he jumped at the Afro/Asian Games of 2003 in the Indian city of Hyderabad.

Idiata said he decided to try his luck in long jump after last year's 9th Africa Games in Algiers.

His coach, Yusuf Alli, whose national and Commonwealth Games' record of 8.25 meters remains unbroken, predicted that Idiata was the only long jumper he was tipping to smash the record.

"He is good. He has shown a lot of promise but we are still working hard to correct a few flaws," said Alli. (Xinhua)