Yate & District AC’s Otis Poole achieves “dream” British Indoor High Jump gold at 17 years old

(📸 Getty Images for British Athletics)

FOR BRISTOL POST NEWSPAPER

Yate & District Athletics Club’s Otis Poole experienced a whirlwind first senior UK Athletics Indoor Championships, winning a shock gold in the Men’s High Jump.

The 17-year-old jumped a new personal best height of 2.20m to win his first British title, massively extending his previous mark of 2.09m, which was set in his English U20 Indoor Championships win in Sheffield, two weeks earlier.

Chippenham-based Poole was a late entry to the event, only receiving his confirmation message four days before the competition, on the second day of action at the championships on Sunday, February 23.

Poole showed real composure to achieve two first-time clearances at personal best heights, putting on a show to win his first senior British medal in front of the championships’ biggest crowd since 1964.

“It feels amazing given that I wasn’t even coming here until Wednesday! Then it was all a bit of a rush and I had to change my training plans,” he said.

“It probably helped as it didn’t give me any time to get nervous. Every time I cleared a height, I felt there was room to improve, so I kept going, and I am delighted and surprised to have cleared 2.20m.

“I’m normally not a very reactive guy when I clear the height, I tend to keep it kind of calm, but when I was getting over some of those heights, I just felt it, I kind of had to celebrate. I didn't really expect any of it, so it's all kind of a dream.”

The 17-year-old smashed his lifetime best to take a shock lead midway through the competition, being the only athlete to achieve a first-time clearance of 2.11m.

Poole and pre-event favourite Kimani Jack (2.18m PB set in 2025) then cleared their second attempt at 2.15m, the only athletes to do so, setting up a one-on-one battle for the gold medal.

2.18m would be the next attempted height, which Poole was safely over at the second opportunity, and that clearance was enough to secure gold, as Jack couldn’t match his personal best, knocking the bar three times.

With the victory secured, he continued in the competition, safely jumping 2.20m at the first opportunity, before bowing out with three fouls at 2.22m.

The pressure of a potential personal best in front of a packed crowd didn’t phase young Poole, who made two first-time personal best jumps, and extended the original mark of 2.09m four times.

(📸 Getty Images for British Athletics)

“I came into this not expecting anything. My parents were just kind of like, ‘Oh, you're in, that's what matters, ’ and I think having no pressure allowed me not to worry about it. That led to confidence, and no worries for the heights that I was jumping at,” said Poole.

“I haven't really experienced anything similar. I think the English U20 champs two weeks ago was the closest, but even then, it doesn't really compare to this level.

“It was amazing. You could tell that the crowd had your back, they were happy when you won, they were disappointed when you knocked it off, and I think that's exactly what you want from a crowd.”

The 17-year-old’s dream is to compete in the Olympic Games, and after another personal best, he has the Olympic qualifying standard of 2.33m in his sights over the next few years.

But it wasn’t until sports day at his school that he discovered the sport of athletics, setting a new school high jump record to win the event.

“We were in a wooden gym, we had about three steps, I broke the school record, and I think when I did, I landed off the bed, and smashed onto the wooden thing, but I still did the record.

“I then got invited to come along and train, and I didn't really enjoy it at first, but after that, I kind of started to,” he said.

“And now that I've developed and grown with my coach, Joy Bray, it’s kind of just led on to better things, and a good training group.”

Poole’s indoor season now comes to an end, as his British lead of 2.20m is 10cm short of the qualifying standard required for the upcoming European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands (March 6-9).

Only three qualified athletes have reached the standard since last February, but 15 high jumpers have secured their place to compete at the Omnisportcentrum in March through world rankings.

As the world rankings list is judged over a year period, rather than just over a season, the British Champion will sadly miss a chance at a first major championships.

He will now turn his attention to the outdoor season, which will commence in a few months.

A new personal best of 2.20m has already secured his place at the European U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, this August, and will open up opportunities to compete in events with senior athletes across the world.

Should Poole continue his impressive form that has already seen him win British, and English U20 Indoor golds into the outdoor season, he could qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

Poole can qualify for the week-long event in Japan by clearing the same 2.33m standard as the Olympics, or by increasing his world ranking.

“I haven't really understood what 2.20m can get me into, and I think I need to think about where I set my sights for the outdoor season, what I hope to achieve, and look from that,” said Poole.

“For me now it's just about looking ahead to the outdoor season, I’ll see what I can do there, and carry on training for it.

“I don't have competitions for a while, so I can probably get in a good block of training, and just improve my bounce, improve my ping, and get over the next heights.

“Originally my goal for the season was 2.15m, and if not 2.12m to qualify for the European U20s, but now I'm going to aim for 2.25m, maybe higher, just whatever comes.”