Martin jumps at opportunity to compete again

Special to the News Sentinel

Vincent Martin competes in the long jump at the World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, earlier this month.

Vincent Martin never lost his competitive fire. It was just dormant for about the past 10 years.

The 42-year-old Knoxville resident didn't have a hard time finding the fire again during the Oct. 6-18 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, where he won a gold medal in the long jump and silver in the triple jump.

"If you still have the ability to compete, you still have the urge," Martin said. "It doesn't matter if you're 16 or 65 (years old). That doesn't go away, but trying to find the environment to apply it is where it gets touchy."

Martin, who ran track for Tennessee 1988-90 and worked at UT's student-athlete life-skills program 1995-2001, found the place to compete when he made the U.S. Masters National Team earlier this year.

It had been 10 years since Martin last won four Masters Championships in the triple jump and long jump. In his time away from competition, Martin was working a job in pharmaceutical sales, but during those years maintained his training and accreditation as a certified athletic trainer.

Two years ago, Martin went back into a career as a full-time athletic trainer specializing in performance training, which emphasizes speed, agility and quickness.

While working with some of the nation's top athletes - football players, mixed-martial arts fighters, swimmers, soccer players, etc. - Martin got the urge to compete again earlier this year.

"The track and field Masters environment is still highly competitive and there are meets all over the country and world," Martin said. "I can pick and choose what I want to do. I can still compete against world-class athletes around the world. There's nothing better than knowing you can compete against the best in the world."

Martin suffered a hamstring injury in early summer and couldn't compete in an international meet in Finland in July, so he turned his focus toward the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney.

When he arrived in Sydney, Martin learned he was the forgotten one. Instead, all the talk was about a Russian, Vladimir Pankratov, who had become dominant in the long jump and triple jump for the Masters' 40-44 age division.

"I'd been off the circuit for 10 years," Martin said. "People were like, 'Who are you?' Then everybody started talking about Vladimir Pankratov, and the rest of us were competing for second or third. In my mind, I was like, 'I didn't come here to finish second or third.' "

Martin quickly established himself again. His first jump of 6 meters, 70 centimeters beat Pankratov's personal record. Although he fouled on four of his six jumps, Martin claimed the gold medal - but not a full degree of satisfaction.

"For me, it was a bad jumping day," Martin said. "My expectations, I should never jump under seven meters. I attribute that to lack of training and lack of being in the pit. I was kind of jumping behind the board because I was fouling."

Four days later, Martin finished second in the triple jump behind Pankratov.

"To some degree, I was disappointed because I don't like to lose," Martin said. "At the same time, the reality is, 'Can you really walk into that kind of competition?' I hadn't done any triple jumping or speed work since July (due to the hamstring injury). Can you walk into a World Championship and be upset with second?

"In reality it's amazing I was able to win the long jump and battle with him in the triple jump, which I could have won if my steps were on."

Sponsors for his Sydney trip were the Knoxville Track Club, New Balance of Knoxville, The Health Shoppe, Dr. Steven Silver, and Brown Chiropractic.

Martin's next major event will likely be the Masters World Indoor Championship in Canada in early 2010. He plans to tune up by training and competing with younger athletes.

"I've got to have real competition," Martin said. "My goal is to be in meets with UT guys in Open meets. I'll be the older guy there. . . . I can pretty much go out and win my age group without training but the way for me to push it is to train with (younger athletes)."

Dave Link is a freelance contributor.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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