Nebraska Cornhusker junior Nicholas Gordon, a 2009 Jamaican World Championship Team Member, is going for back-to-back NCAA Championships in the indoor long jump this winter. Last year, he beat out a slew of young and talented jumpers to take the title with a jump of 26 feet, 5 ¼ inches. Let's see if he can do it!

What brought you from warm Jamaica to often-cold Nebraska?

Well, I got recruited from Jamaica and the thing that brought me to Nebraska was that it was a perfect fit. I really like the people here!

If you and I were betting men, what would the chances be that you're going to repeat as NCAA indoor long jump champion?

(Laughs) Well, I don't bet, first of all! Honestly, I don't know. Last year I had no idea that I was going to win. Like NO idea! In the beginning of the year, my goal was to make it to the NCAAs. It just came as a big surprise. I grew in confidence as the year went along. I started out jumping like low 24s my first couple of meets. Indoor, I improved at every single track meet. I was jumping 24-5 and 24-10, then 25-8 at Tyson. At conference, Big 12s, I jumped 26-1. Then, at Nationals, I jumped 26-4 to win. I improved at every single meet, which is something that I tend to do. I did it outdoor as well. We set our workouts so I peak when it's right. Honestly, to place all that effort on one track meet is like...it depends on who shows up on that day and who has their best day. It's not far off for me to win again, but it's going to take some really hard work!

There seems to be a huge group of underclassmen long and triple jumpers. Is that what you mean with “it depends who shows up on that day and has their best day”?

Definitely. There are a lot of people—even before this season started—that have already jumped over 8 meters. It just depends on who has a really good day that day.

So, where do you set your goals? Any certain distance?

I think 27 feet would be a really good goal for at Nationals. Every year for indoor, I always set goals to jump farther than I did the year before during outdoor. My personal best is 26-7 ¼ right now. I think that if I jump 27 feet at indoor nationals, that would be good.

What are some of the big differences for you jumping indoor compared to outdoor?

OK, the major difference I would say is just the timing of the season. Outdoor is better, in a sense, because you haven't been jumping as long, you don't have as many reps and—based on my training—you haven't been doing as many longer repetitions/speedwork type stuff. And that's the biggest difference for me.

Speaking of speed stuff, do you ever run the 60, 100 or 200 in meets?

I don't run very much at the track meets. I have before, but I haven't really done very well. We do it in practice, where we have electrical timing and flying 30s and stuff like that. That's how we really get our speedwork going.

But we're not going to catch in 60 or 100?

Well, you probably will this year. I'll probably run two or three 60s indoor.

Can you walk me through a week of training for you?

Monday is pretty much the beginning of the week where we run stairs or hills or whatever is available. Sometimes during the break you can't do that. We'll run 100s or something at like 85%...maybe with a weight vest. Then we lift after all that. Tuesday is pretty much a jump day. A lot of reps. I do triple jump also, which helps me with my long jump. A lot of bounding, jumping and approach work. On Wednesday, it's pretty much a speed/endurance type day. Sometimes we'll have 150s or repeat 100s at probably 85-90%. Then Thursday is another day where we'll run stairs again or hills. This is sort of the off-season stuff...so, it's bound to change. Friday, you run and Saturday is another jump day.

You've met Usain Bolt?

Yes. I was on the World Championship Team with him this summer.

I'd like to hear you weigh in on this discussion: have you heard anything about Bolt actually giving long jump a try?

I've read...just as you have. I've heard those rumors. But, I haven't spoken to him about it or anything.

Say he did pick it up. What do you think he would be capable of?

If I had to take a wild guess. I'd say that he easily, without much training...he'd obviously have to work on it a little bit...would be over eight meters. I can't say how much over eight meters. But with the speed he's got...over eight meters! He's very fast, but there's a lot of technical stuff with your takeoff and landing.

Who are some of the jumpers you look up to?

For long jumpers, current long jumpers, I like Saladino and Dwight Phillips. I like both of them for different things, I'd say. Phillips is really fast and my coach always says that speed is very important to the long jump. The defining factor of how far you jump is how much speed you can leave the board with and he's probably the fastest long jumper out there...that I know. That's says a lot. He's very much about finesse. He doesn't weigh that much, but I'd have to assume he's really, really strong and deceivingly fast. He doesn't look that fast, but he's fast on the runway and really, really strong.

And I assume that you've watched the Mike Powell and Carl Lewis battle on YouTube?

Definitely! Like a hundred times! Not every day...but a lot! I'll say that!

Can you jump vertically? Have you ever tried high jump?

No. Actually, that's something that I can't do. That's something that my coach says I've got to work on. I think my best asset in the long jump is my transition. Like off the board and how much speed I leave the board with, but jumping vertical is not my strong point.

Have you picked a major at Nebraska?

Yes, my major is political science. I want to be a lawyer.

What if you were a professional long jumper instead?

Well, I wouldn't mind. That would be all right by me! Lawyer or long jumper...or both!

What do you do for fun when you get free time?

I watch a lot of movies. I play Xbox360 here and there and old school Mario Kart on the N64. I'm mostly an outdoors person. I'd say my favorite sport is soccer.

Did you play in high school?

Yeah. I played soccer first. My high school pretty much saw me on the soccer field first and recruited me to come and join track.

Has your coach put an end to your soccer-playing days?

No. Sometimes during the season we have pretty much rest days, but not really rest days where we're supposed to do something. He recommends something like basketball or just another sport to keep my mind away from training. Some of the guys play basketball, but I'm not very good, so I play a pick-up game of soccer. We don't do it that regularly. Just once every month or so.

If you could have one meal, prepared by anyone, what would you have and who would make it?

Being away from home, I'd say: curry chicken from my grandma. That's my favorite meal...easily. I can cook it. I've made it in the last couple of weeks, but from my grandma...no. The last time from her was last summer.

Can you give me a crazy track and field story?

If I had to say something crazy, it would probably be my freshman year, when me and my coach went home to Jamaica for the Jamaican Olympic Trials. Before I went to warm up for the long jump, outside the stadium there was like a shoot-out with police and people across the street. There were people running from the scene to the stadium. I was farther away from the incident than everybody else. I didn't exactly have to do anything...but people were running our way.

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