"Clutch factor" key to stunning win

Above: Liam Adcock collecting his bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships. Picture Sona Maleterova

Liam Adcock, the former Redcliffe Little Athlete, has served notice to the world's leading long jumpers - again.

The 28-year-old left the world's top two in his wake with a dramatic last-gasp victory at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.

He produced a personal best 8.34m (beating his pb by 1cm) to leap from third to first in the final round at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday night.

That was too good for double Olympic champion and world number one Miltiadis Tentoglou, of Greece and Italy’s world number two Mattia Furlani.

It was just Adcock’s second appearance in the elite Diamond League – the first being in China two months ago when he finished second with 8.15m.

The former Redcliffe resident followed up with second place at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands on Monday, recording a best of 7.97m.

Based in Milan for the European summer, he is now preparing for the Paavo Nurmi Games at Turku, Finland on Saturday.

After his stunning win in Rome, Adcock admitted in a Diamond League interview: “Wasn’t feeling that great leading into it,” 

“Furlani got the home crowd going and that got me going too. I really appreciate the crowd support and great competition.

“In Xiamen (China) I was leading the whole way and in the last round I got overtaken.

“(In Rome) coming into the last round in third, meant you get to jump last … I was pretty happy with that. I’ve got a bit of the clutch factor.”

The ex-Redcliffe State High School student has been plagued by injury in recent years, but is now fit, in form and relishing his “first year on the big boy circuit”.

Adcock said he has “more ownership of my own program and that allows me to do what I think is best".

“I have a lot of belief in my own training program,” he said, “and want to get past that Australian record (8.54m set by Mitchell Watt in 2011) as well!”

Adcock, who went to Scarborough State School, broke his personal best at the Perth Classic on March 1, with 8.33m.

He then won bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, with 8.28m and last month took the Tokyo Golden Grand Prix event with 8.20m.

Adcock will be at the Diamond League meetings in London (July 19) and Lausanne (August 20) – and hopefully qualify for the final in Zurich (August 27).