Long jumper Wayne Pinnock confirms Move to Turkey

Wayne Pinnock, a long jumper who recently changed his national allegiance to compete for Turkey, has stated that his choice was motivated by the desire to create a better future for himself and his family, pointing to insufficient support for athletes in Jamaica.

The former Jamaican long jumper has publicly confirmed his switch to represent Turkey after securing victory in the men’s long jump at the Diamond League meeting held at the Olympic Stadium in London on Saturday.

Pinnock, who has earned silver medals at the World Athletics Championships, Olympic Games, and World Indoor Championships, achieved a jump of 8.20m (0.2m/s) on Saturday, narrowly surpassing Greece's World and Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, who jumped 8.19m (0.9m/s). He expressed his determination to win the Diamond League title.

Turkey is strengthening it's Olympic lineup by simply paying the athletes more which is becoming a major issue for sports in Jamaica. The executive of local athletics’ governing body is scheduled to have an emergency meeting today to craft a response to the raid on top Jamaican talent by Middle Eastern nation Türkiye that rocked the island on Thursday.

Pinnock is among four Jamaican athletes, including fellow jumper Jaydon Hibbert and throwers Roje Stona and Rajindra Campbell, who made the switch earlier this year. Paris 2024 Olympic medallists Roje Stona, Wayne Pinnock, and Rajindra Campbell, as well as prodigious Under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert are reported to have completed the documentation to become Turkish citizens, lured by lucrative financial gains.

Long jumper Wayne Pinnock confirms Move to Turkey