Abdul Majeed Omar, an Italian of Bissa descent, captured first place in the triple jump event at the Florence Sprint Festival on Sunday, May 7, soaring to a mark of 15.84m to top the podium despite strong wind conditions.
The 23-year-old Italian track and field athlete produced the winning jump with a +1.4 m/s wind reading on his third attempt at the 8-man competition held at Stadio Luigi Ridolfi Firenze.
Omar’s distance of 15.84m was over 0.03m farther than silver medalist Simone Contaldo’s impressive jump of 15.81 m, aided by a +0.5 m/s wind. Fredrico Bruno finished third with a mark of 15.78m and a +0.6 m/s wind reading.
Omar started off his 2023 season strong back in early February, winning the long jump at the Italian U23 Indoor Championships on February 4th with an impressive mark of 7.50m. The next day, February 5th, he placed 3rd in the triple jump at the same championships with a distance of 15.14m.
Though he came in 5th in the long jump at the Italian Indoor Championships on February 18th with a jump of 7.38m, it did not deter him from striving to improve.
“Abdul has really stepped up this season, and this is a very promising result for him in the triple jump,” his dad, Omar, told Bissanews online.
“I could not be more proud and thrilled to see his dedication paying off this athletic season.
His hard work and determination to keep improving are a joy to watch as a parent. Seeing him claim gold in the triple jump despite tough wind conditions shows Abdul’s true spirit and talent.”
Next up for Omar is the CDS Assoluto Toscana meet on May 14th, where he will look to continue his progression in the long jump.
Born in Italy to Ghanaian Bissa parents, Omar’s breakthrough triple jump performance under windy conditions cements him as one of Italy’s top all-around jumpers in the competition.
He will now set his sights on the upcoming European Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics after capping off a strong start to the 2023 season.
Also read: Abdul Majeed Omar begins 2023 on high note with Italian U23 Long Jump Title
As one of Italy’s rising track and field stars, Abdul Majeed Omar earned a place in a Corecom Toscana commercial hyping the “Tuscany in Commercials 2020” athletics competition.
Created by Gonzo Design, the ad spotlighted Omar’s talents and potential heading into the event. His inclusion as a featured athlete underscored his emergence as an exciting prospect for Italian track and field.