Ackelia Smith, the distinguished 2024 NCAA long and triple jump champion, is harnessing the lessons learned from the previous year’s World Championships in Budapest as she sets her sights on the Paris Olympic Games.
Following a significant recovery from a serious injury earlier in the season, her performance at the Jamaica National Championships has highlighted her unwavering determination and potential.
Smith’s impressive achievements at the Jamaica National Championships included winning the long jump with a leap of 6.53m and securing second place in the triple jump with a distance of 14.44m. Although these marks fall short of the Olympic standards of 6.86m and 14.55m, respectively, her season-best performances of 6.79m (with an indoor jump of 6.85m) and 14.52m at the NCAA Championships have earned her rankings of 21st in the long jump and 23rd in the triple jump. This positions the University of Texas graduate, who recently signed a professional contract with Puma, on track to compete in Paris.
Overcoming injury and adversity
In March, Smith faced a major setback when she suffered a hamstring injury, with doctors predicting a recovery period of six to eight weeks. Defying these expectations, she made a triumphant return in early May, winning both the long and triple jumps at the Texas Invitational with wind-aided marks of 7.10m and 13.51m. Reflecting on her recovery, Smith stated, “That injury that I had was a hamstring tear. That has definitely healed. Being in explosive events, I try to stay as technical as I can. I am not perfect but I try to be as close to it as possible and make sure I work on my recovery, and always do my treatments. You have got to take care of your body so you can come back and do that every day.”
Smith’s resilience was further tested at the Budapest World Championships in 2023, where a massive leap was deemed a foul, preventing her from advancing to the final. “It was a big jump; it was very frustrating because as a young athlete this is your time and going in with the world lead, I really wanted to make the final. But sometimes what you plan is not what you get but it was a lesson and I have learned from it. I kind of left it late and now I know that if I am going to do it I have got to get it out of the way early,” she shared.
Preparation and future aspirations
Balancing a demanding training schedule with the rigors of a competitive season, Smith is preparing meticulously for the challenges ahead. Drawing on her experiences from two World Championships, she and her coach have refined their training regimen to ensure peak performance at the right time. “You know, I’ve already been to two World Championships and those were later on in August after having a whole NCAA season. I use those as experience, me and my coach, and we say ‘Okay, we need to adjust training, we need to address everything else around it and the goal itself is the Olympics,’” Smith explained. “Even though we have the nationals, the NCAAs, and all that, I think my coach was like, ‘You’ve got to be ready for the Olympics.’”
As Smith gears up for the biggest event of her athletic career, she plans to participate in more competitions to fine-tune her skills and honor her country. Her journey is not solely about personal success; it’s also about inspiring the next generation of athletes. “It’s really great but I think even better it is for the young athletes coming up because they think they have to choose one,” Smith emphasized. “Making it in both shows that you don’t have to; once you qualify you can just perform, and you can do good and you can make it in both.”
