Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.
Not all Christmas stories are equally old, but this one is so good that it deserves to be included, even though it is still quite fresh. It was at the Stórmót IR in Reykjavík in January this year, and Trygvi Laksafoss was in good form. Trygvi is a strong jumper, and in the long jump, the high jump and the triple jump alike he had been close to meeting the Island Games qualification standard for the Island Games, which were held in Bermuda this summer. As early as the 2011 Island Games on the Isle of Wight, the then 17-year-old Trygvi came close to cracking the standard in the long jump.
Trygvi Laksafoss does a great job as a coach at Hvirlan. Here he is pictured in Bermuda.
But now it was the Stórmót IR, and now it was the high jump. Unfortunately the field was not large in this group, where all three started by jumping 162 cm in the first round. One of the Icelanders cleared 167 cm at his first attempt, while the other had three failed attempts and went out. Trygvi chose to wait until the bar reached 172 cm. Now there were two of them left, and both cleared it at their first attempt. At 177 cm both knocked the bar off in the first round. Trygvi got over at his second attempt, while the Icelander went out after three failed attempts.
Now Trygvi was alone, and had won the competition. As the rules prescribe, he therefore got to decide the next height himself. And there was little doubt here. The Island Games standard is 185 cm, and that was where the bar was to be set. Trygvi’s highest ratified jump ever before then was 175 cm, so this was quite a big bite to swallow. The hall announcer was well aware of the situation and got the whole hall buzzing. And the whole hall held its breath when Trygvi jumped.
In the hall in Reykjavík. Here Trygvi glides easily over the 177 centimetres.
How it went can be seen in this YouTube clip, recorded by coach Heri Ziska.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOCh8FHDTDM – one of many great moments in Faroese athletics.
Hopes of reaching even higher at the Island Games were high, but after this Trygvi picked up a lengthy knee injury, and this hampered his preparations a great deal. At the Island Games Trygvi was forced to take off from the wrong leg, and with that in mind it was incredibly impressive of him, despite everything, to clear 175 cm then. Trygvi is now training again free of injury, and he will hopefully meet the standards to go to Jersey stronger than ever.
