Commonwealth Games Triple Jump champion Eldhose Paul is unruffled by things, past or future. The World No. 12 has a clear goal in mind when he makes his Diamond League debut in Doha on Friday: get a personal best. “I want to give each jump my best and keep improving,” he says, soaking in the atmosphere in the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium.
With the World Championships and the Asian Games on the horizon, Eldhose Paul is aware this is a big year and that he is among those ushering in the international outdoor season here. “It is my first Diamond League appearance and that can be challenging, but I will focus on my performance and do the best,” he says, aware of the test in store for him on Friday.
He will contend with nine members of the 17m Club, including the legendary 32-year-old Christian Taylor who has a collection of two Olympic Games Gold medals and four World Championship titles. Beyond the palest shadow of doubt, the Indian’s ability to be immersed in his own performance will be tested.
“Last year taught me how to be ready for a big event. I learnt last season that it is important to sustain my intensity across all jumps, be it three or six. I learnt to not give up and continue to put in full effort,” he says. Eldhose Paul will have the first major opportunity to show to himself if he has learned those lessons well.
Indeed, last year was memorable for him. He made it to the final of the World Championships in Eugene, finishing ninth eventually, and won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham where he crossed the 17m mark but with a tailwind of more than 3m/s, he was left with 16.99m as the recognised personal best.
“Yes, I had a good season last year and I have the experience of a couple of major meets. I believe all that has helped me prepare better for the season ahead, with the World Championships in Budapest and the Asian Games in Hanzghou to be at my peak in,” he says, sure that he will have to be jumping close to the 17.30m mark to be in the medal reckoning.
“The 17m mark is like a mental barrier,” he says, perhaps intending to refer it as a milestone. He elaborates it a bit as he continues. “Like the 8m mark is in the Long Jump, 17m is an indication of a world level Triple Jumper. I can say that if one is getting 17m, one can most probably be in the final of a world class competition.”
It is quite amazing how on the one hand there is a Neeraj Chopra who is ready to bide his time to join the 90m Club of Javelin Throwers and on the other, there is Eldhose Paul who is keen to get that milestone and start focusing on the bigger goals that are enticing and more challenging at the same time.
Yet, 17m seemed a distant goal when Eldhose Paul opened the year with a best effort of 16.61m when finishing second to Praveen Chithravel in the National Jumps Competition in the Inspire Institute of Sports, Vijayanagar, and followed that up with a 16.27m in the AFI Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram.
Coach Harikrishnan reveals that Eldhose Paul was still coming off his pre-season workouts while some jumpers may have resumed training two months ealier with an eye on securing National Records in the National Jumps Competition in Bellari in March. “Eldhose is in good space, and I am sure he will give his best here on Friday,” he says.
The 26-year-old athlete wants to embrace consistency that can change some of the old perception. “Consistency is the main thing. If I have got a performance, I must match it or get better. It is challenging but I will try and get all the things I do in training to work in my favour each time I compete,” he says.
Eldhose Paul himself is not weighed down by his awareness of the dubious history of Indian jumpers not matching their performances at home when competing overseas. “Perhaps they were impacted by lack of international exposure,” he says, offering an insight into a contemporary athlete’s view of his seniors. “It is about adapting and being free.”
