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Strongest start yet for Tyrone

Bermuda's Tyrone Smith competes in the men's long jump final of the track and field competition of the Central American & Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Monday, July 26, 2010. Smith won the gold medal. ¬ (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

Long jumper Tyrone Smith believes he has made his strongest ever start to a season and is confident of qualifying for this summer's World Championships within the next month.Smith has already jumped over eight metres on three occasions this year, winning gold at both the 13th Internationals Leichtathletik, in Germany, and the Kawasaki World Challenge Meet, in Japan.He came agonisingly close to qualifying for the Worlds in Japan where he leapt 8.09m, his second best career jump, which was just one centimetre shy of the standard.And while Smith admits ‘he doesn't have all day' to hit the qualifying mark, he reckons it's only a matter of time before he jumps the distance required to book his ticket to South Korea in August.“It's been a very good year so far,” said the 26-year-old. “This is the best season I've had so far except from my breakout year back in 2006. I've fouled some massive, massive jumps this year and I'm just hoping to get one legal so it counts.“I've a good feeling that over the next four to five weeks (qualifying) will be taken care of. I've still got quite a bit of time to make it happen, although I know I haven't got all day.”Smith, who has six or seven meets in which to make the standard, has already qualified for this year's Pan Am Gamesand CAC Senior Championships , which will see him return to Puerto Rico where he won gold at last summer's CAC Games.The CAC Championships will also be held in Mayaguez at the same stadium where Smith leapt into the history books with a jump of 8.03m.“I'm excited to be going back to Puerto Rico for the CAC Championships.” he said. “There was a little magic on that runway for me the last time I jumped there. Hopefully I can get another CAC title to my name.”Smith decided against –competing in last weekend's –National Championships to ward off fatigue. He said he would next be in action on –June 30 at the All Comers Track Meet at Rice University in Houston, where he is based.“I gave some thought to coming back (for the National Championships) but I've been competing so much and I was dead,” said Smith. “If I'd gone to the Nationals I wouldn't have been able to put on a very good showing, so I decided just to rest.“I'm doing a small meet in Houston at Rice University as I've always jumped well there,” I'm just going to go there with no pressure and have a little fun with it.”