When Tyrone Smith, Hist’07, first joined the track program at Missouri S&T, his best long jump fell short of what it would take to qualify for the Olympics by more than four feet. Since then, Smith has been jumping farther and farther. He won three All-America awards and multiple long jump championships in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. And this year Smith was so good that he qualified for the Olympics.
Competing for Bermuda, Smith finished in 15th place during the qualifying rounds at the recently concluded Beijing games. His best jump in Beijing was 25 feet, 11 1???2 inches. The top 12 long jumpers in the world qualified for the finals.
“I know for a fact that had I not gone to S&T, there is no way that I would be an Olympian now,” says Smith.
Smith was born in Bermuda and moved to the United States at age 6. He spent most of his youth in North Chicago, Ill. He now holds Missouri S&T records in both the indoor and outdoor long jump events. His best career jump – which is the Bermuda national record – is 26 feet, 4 1???4 inches.