Whilst you’ve earned the nickname “Mr. Jumps,” it’s important to be a unique athlete and JaVaughn Harrison has greater than confirmed to be simply that. In 2021, he was the primary American male to qualify for the Olympics in each the prime leap and lengthy leap since Jim Thorpe in 1912. Harrison would make the finals in each occasions, shooting 7th within the prime leap and 5th position within the lengthy leap.

As is the case with maximum athletes, Harrison has established a regimen and a collection of rituals he abides by way of ahead of he competes. Recent off of his first main championship medal — shooting silver within the prime leap on the Global Athletics Championships in Budapest ultimate month — Harrison will glance to punch his price ticket to the Paris Video games in each disciplines on the Prefontaine Vintage Diamond League this weekend in Eugene, OR.

M&F stuck up with the Huntsville, AL, local and LSU alum to increase on a few of what is going into him locking in to get in a position to compete.

1. Have Amusing

I persistently inform myself that if I’m now not having a laugh, then I’m now not gonna carry out the best way I need to. I’m a company believer that when you don’t love what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it. So every time I am getting out to satisfy, the best way I will inform if I’m going to have a just right meet is that if I’m leaping and bouncing round all the way through warmups. I’m dancing, enjoying my track and I comprehend it’s gonna be a just right day. If I’m too critical and too quiet, then one thing’s fallacious.

2. Mom’s Necklace

It’s one of the crucial necessary piece of bijou 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 when I used to be a toddler. She gave it to me once I grew to become 18. I hardly take it off. I most effective take it off if I’m converting what I need to have on my neck if I’m going out someplace. As opposed to that, this chain by no means leaves my neck—or if I’m going to get it wiped clean as a result of I take my jewellery to get it polished and wiped clean.

3. Pre-comp sandwich

The sandwiches trade. Now and again, I would possibly upload one thing to it or I would possibly take one thing clear of it, relying on what type it’s. I check out to not consume the similar factor too incessantly as a result of I think like when you consume the similar factor time and again, you’ll get bored of it. If I will, I’ll consume a Firehouse sub. I would possibly get an Italian sub or I would possibly get a Membership on a Sub. I would possibly get the Turkey 1st baron beaverbrook Ranch or a Meatball Sub. It simply relies on how I think that day.

4. Heat Up and track

My trainer has written out a warm-up routine for me. I’ll get started off with jog a lap, on occasion two relying on how I’m feeling that day. If I think slightly slow or like I’m now not totally wide awake, I’ll jog two laps. If I think like I’m wakeful, I’ll draw one lap. Then I’ll do a little aspect shuffle and aspect skips — only a few energetic mobility paintings.

Then I’ll stretch and I were given my dash postures — A skip, B skip, karaoke. Then I’ve excels and runouts. I hydrate in between that and every segment has extra drills than what I’m announcing.

It’s now not a perfect speedy heat up. I do it reasonably and it takes about 30-40 mins. If I push it and it’s tremendous scorching outdoor, it’ll most certainly take about 45. However for essentially the most section, my heat up takes about half-hour. K, so I’m an excessively giant Lil Uzi Vert fan. That’s my favourite artist. I additionally concentrate to Playboi Carti, Yeat, Travis Scott, and Younger Nudy. The ones are the principle artists that I concentrate to on warm-up days.

5. Crimson Bull

Crimson Bull is helping me get up. As an example, on the Global Championships, we needed to leap at, I need to say about 10:45 am. I might be fallacious concerning the actual time, however I do know we jumped within the morning. So I needed to be up by way of six and I’m now not a morning particular person. I hate being up early within the morning. For me to rise up at six, I used to be slow and irritable, and I simply wasn’t myself. Because it gradually were given nearer to the time, my frame began waking up, however I do know that I’m slow within the morning. So the Crimson Bull is helping me get up and get my frame shifting.

6. No arm sleeve all the way through comp

I’ve by no means had a just right festival dressed in an arm sleeve. I wore an arm sleeve at two meets in school and I did terrible. I’ve by no means put an arm sleeve on since. If I’ve to take footage in it, that’s something. However in terms of festival, I’m now not hanging an arm sleeve on.

7. Prayer

It’s crucial to me. My mother raised me to at all times give reward and thank God for what he’s doing for me. Whether or not it’s on the Diamond League festival or me with the opposite US prime jumpers at the US Championships or on the Global Championship, an Olympic meet — I at all times be certain that I say a prayer and provides God thank you and I ask him to offer protection to me via my festival and assist me to be harm loose.

Observe JuVaughn on Instagram @jaay_harrison