NICK WALSHAW
The Daily Telegraph. April 22^nd, 2010

IF YOU really want to appreciate Fabrice Lapierre, take nine large steps. Go on. Do it now.
Mark out nine metres on your construction site. In your classroom. Even use the front bar of your local to measure that distance representing two family sedans or one imposing stretch Hummer.
OK, now try and jump it.

"Honestly, it's the only way to understand how good Fabrice is,'' world champion discus thrower Dani Samuels explains. "Even for other athletes, it's a mark that really does seem impossible.''

All diamond earrings, leg strength and sparkling red spikes, Lapierre is the anonymous Sydneysider who has literally leapt into our 2010 Commonwealth Games team. A westie now ready to challenge Qantas for the tag of Australia's most popular flyer.
And it's all because of those 8.78 metres this Quakers Hill product cleared at last Sunday's Australian titles in Perth.
His personalised Asics spikes not only touching the sand longer than any Aussie in history, but marking the sixth largest jump recorded by any human being ever.

"Oh, it was an incredible feeling,'' Lapierre recalls. "As soon as I took off it felt like I literally grew wings. I didn't even need to see the tape when I landed . . . I knew it was special.''

Which is why Aussies should spend the next couple of months acquainting themselves with this Westfields Sports High product who sprints quicker than Jarryd Hayne. Who leaps higher than any AFL footballer. Who was a little concerned yesterday when using his former school's long jump pit for The Daily Telegraph . . . because he now clears it.

It's an incredible rise for this athlete, now 26, who emigrated with his parents from Mauritius at age two. Who moved to Texas at age 19 and is still living and training there with renowned long jump coach Fred O'Connor. Who yesterday returned to Westfields and addressed students with fellow graduates and now Commonwealth Games teammates Samuels and hurdler Hayley Butler.
In fact, the only downside to this yarn is that his Perth mark can never be officially registered -- a tailwind of 3.1m/second that assisted his jump being above the legal limit of 2m/sec. "But I actually had a stuff-up with my run up that day,'' he shrugs. "So, yeah, I know I can go longer.''

And who wants to bet against a fella who runs 100m in 10.56 seconds? Who boasts an ability to leap so far . . . well, you really should take those nine long steps yourself.