Once you’ve earned the nickname “Mr. Jumps,” it’s important to be a particular athlete and JaVaughn Harrison has greater than confirmed to be simply that. In 2021, he grew to become the primary American male to qualify for the Olympics in each the excessive bounce and lengthy bounce since Jim Thorpe in 1912. Harrison would make the finals in each occasions, capturing seventh within the excessive bounce and fifth place within the lengthy bounce.
As is the case with most athletes, Harrison has established a routine and a set of rituals he abides by earlier than he competes. Recent off of his first main championship medal — capturing silver within the excessive bounce on the World Athletics Championships in Budapest final month — Harrison will look to punch his ticket to the Paris Video games in each disciplines on the Prefontaine Basic Diamond League this weekend in Eugene, OR.
M&F caught up with the Huntsville, AL, native and LSU alum to develop on a few of what goes into him locking in to get able to compete.
1. Have Enjoyable
I constantly inform myself that if I’m not having enjoyable, then I’m not gonna carry out the way in which I wish to. I’m a agency believer that should you don’t love what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it. So each time I get out to fulfill, the way in which I can inform if I’m going to have an excellent meet is that if I’m leaping and bouncing round throughout warmups. I’m dancing, enjoying my music and I do know it’s gonna be an excellent day. If I’m too severe and too quiet, then one thing’s flawed.
2. Mom’s Necklace
It’s in all probability crucial piece of jewellery I personal. It belonged to my mother when she ran observe at Alabama A&M. It has a pendant on it that has an image of me and her once I was a child. She gave it to me once I turned 18. I not often take it off. I solely take it off if I’m altering what I wish to have on my neck if I’m going out someplace. Aside from that, this chain by no means leaves my neck—or if I’m going to get it cleaned as a result of I take my jewellery to get it polished and cleaned.
3. Pre-comp sandwich
The sandwiches change. Typically, I would add one thing to it or I would take one thing away from it, relying on what type it’s. I strive to not eat the identical factor too actually because I really feel like should you eat the identical factor time and again, you’ll get uninterested in it. If I can, I’ll eat a Firehouse sub. I would get an Italian sub or I would get a Membership on a Sub. I would get the Turkey Bacon Ranch or a Meatball Sub. It simply will depend on how I really feel that day.
4. Heat Up and music
My coach has written out a warm-up routine for me. I’ll begin off with jog a lap, typically two relying on how I’m feeling that day. If I really feel slightly sluggish or like I’m not totally awake, I’ll jog two laps. If I really feel like I’m awake, I’ll draw one lap. Then I’ll do some aspect shuffle and aspect skips — just a few lively mobility work.
Then I’ll stretch and I acquired my dash postures — A skip, B skip, karaoke. Then I’ve excels and runouts. I hydrate in between that and every part has extra drills than what I’m saying.
It’s not a brilliant quick heat up. I do it reasonably and it takes about 30-40 minutes. If I push it and it’s tremendous scorching exterior, it’ll in all probability take about 45. However for essentially the most half, my heat up takes about half-hour. Okay, so I’m a really large Lil Uzi Vert fan. That’s my favourite artist. I additionally take heed to Playboi Carti, Yeat, Travis Scott, and Younger Nudy. These are the primary artists that I take heed to on warm-up days.
5. Purple Bull
Purple Bull helps me get up. As an example, on the World Championships, we needed to bounce at, I wish to say about 10:45 am. I could possibly be flawed in regards to the actual time, however I do know we jumped within the morning. So I needed to be up by six and I’m not a morning particular person. I hate being up early within the morning. For me to rise up at six, I used to be sluggish and irritable, and I simply wasn’t myself. Because it progressively acquired nearer to the time, my physique began waking up, however I do know that I’m sluggish within the morning. So the Purple Bull helps me get up and get my physique transferring.
6. No arm sleeve throughout comp
I’ve by no means had an excellent competitors sporting an arm sleeve. I wore an arm sleeve at two meets in faculty and I did horrible. I’ve by no means put an arm sleeve on since. If I’ve to take footage in it, that’s one factor. However in the case of competitors, I’m not placing an arm sleeve on.
7. Prayer
It’s essential to me. My mother raised me to all the time give reward and thank God for what he’s doing for me. Whether or not it’s on the Diamond League competitors or me with the opposite US excessive jumpers on the USA Championships or on the World Championship, an Olympic meet — I all the time be certain that I say a prayer and provides God thanks and I ask him to guard me via my competitors and assist me to be harm free.
Comply with JuVaughn on Instagram @jaay_harrison
