By SHELDON LONGLEY Guardian Sports Editor,Tim Aylen/bahamas Visual Services

Copyright thenassauguardian

TOKYO, Japan — Bahamian triple jumper Kaiwan Culmer had the best year of of athletic career in 2025, but just couldn’t put together a good series of jumps when it mattered the most.

Culmer had to settle for 14th in his group, and 23rd overall, in the men’s triple jump competition at the 20th World Athletics Championships at the Japan National Stadium on Wednesday. He could only muster a best jump of 16.39 meters (m) — 53’ 9-1/4”, which turned out to be one of his worst performances of the season.

In a season in which he became a 17m jumper for the first time, and moved all the way up to number three from outside the top 10 on the all-time list in Bahamian history, Culmer appeared primed for a big showing at the world championships.

Unfortunately, he scratched two of the three jumps on Wednesday evening, and couldn’t put it all together on the other attempt.

Culmer said he will suck it up as a learning experience and look to bounce back stronger in the future.

“What happened is, I wasn’t able to get the approach together like I wanted to, and that’s what killed me out there. Unfortunately, it just fell apart at the worst possible time,” he said. “I had two good fouls which could have possibly gotten me into the final, but it just wasn’t there. It was tough, but I was mentally there. I wasn’t afraid. I was ready. It’s just that you’re on a level with the best, and you have to do what is required. I wasn’t able to do that today. I just have to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger and focussed on doing better.”

The top 12 jumpers, or an automatic distance of 17.10m (56’ 1-1/4”), was the qualifying standard for the final. Only two jumpers, Yasser Mohammed Triki, of Algeria, and Jamaican Jordan Scott were able to attain the automatic qualifying distance on Wednesday.

Culmer leapt 17m (55’ 9-1/4”) twice this year — once at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, and the other for the national title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Open Track and Field Championships at the beginning of August.

At the nationals in particular, Culmer had a massive personal best leap of 17.29m (56’ 8-3/4”) for third all-time behind national record holder ‘Superman’ Leevan Sands and former national record holder Frank Rutherford on the totem pole in Bahamian history.

Sands holds the national record of 17.59m (57’ 8-1/2”), and Rutherford follows with a best of 17.41m (57’ 1-1/2”).

Coincidentally, Culmer is now coached by Sands.

“This was a huge learning experience for me. I wanted to be here, pretty much all my life — since I was a child. I finally got an opportunity to be here and see what’s like to compete against the best in the sport,” said Culmer. “I’m grateful. I was able to put together a great season, make some adjustments, and get here. I’m grateful to God.”

Culmer said he’s looking to attain loftier standards in 2026. It’s an off year as far as the world championships and Olympics are concerned, but Culmer said regardless, you have to keep playing and keep fighting.

“I know where I could be. I felt it out there,” said Culmer. “I know that I could have gotten into that final. It’s just that on this level, there is no room for error, and that’s what hurt me today. I just have to get more mature as a jumper and come back stronger for next year,” he added.

Culmer is coming off a performance in which he won the gold medal in the men’s triple jump competiton at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Track and Field Championships, which took place at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama, In August.

Culmer is anticipating continued progression, and stronger performances, going forward to the 2025-2026 season.

The Bahamas finished fifth at the last NACAC Track and Field Championships in Freeport in 2022, securing eight medals — two gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. This year, The Bahamas won two gold medals, courtesy of Anthonique Strachan in the women’s 200m and Kaiwan Culmer in the men’s triple jump.

Just one Bahamian athlete will be in competition today.

Strachan will run in the semifinals of the women’s 200m.

Strachan will run out of lane six in the first of three semifinal heats at 9:24 p.m. in Tokyo tonight, 8:24 a.m. Thursday in The Bahamas. The top two finishers in each semifinal heat, and the next two fastest times, will qualify for Friday’s final.