Leap of faith: De Gannes jumps into sprints, transitions from junior to senior

TOBAGO-born track and field standout Janae De Gannes secured a double victory in the girls' Under-20 long jump and 100 metres at the National Junior Athletics Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, over the weekend.
Describing the occasion as “bittersweet,” De Gannes, 18, said the meet marked the end of her junior career as she now transitions to the senior ranks.
“It’s honestly a bittersweet moment because this is my last junior championship,” she said. “I will be moving on to the seniors next year.”
De Gannes, widely regarded as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s top young long jump talents, surprised many by entering – and winning – the 100 metres sprint, despite not having trained specifically for the event.
“Honestly, I just decided to jump into the 100 metres. It wasn’t really planned because I’m more of a long jumper, and I was mostly doing long-jump training.”
The gamble paid off, as she crossed the line first, boosting her confidence in the short sprint.
“I didn’t expect much. I went out there and I ended up coming away with the win. Long jump is my speciality, so I just went out there, had fun and enjoyed the moment.”
While she’s still undecided about how much more sprinting she’ll do this season, De Gannes said she may also contest the 100 metres alongside her pet event (long jump) at the upcoming National Senior Championships, set for August 22-24. She is also eyeing the Pan American Under-23 Championships from August 9-23.
However, her main objective is to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from September 13-21.
Earlier this year, she leapt 6.72m – just 14 centimetres shy of the qualifying standard of 6.86m – at a US meet.
“That’s my goal for this year, definitely to make the World Championship team. I believe I fouled that jump this weekend, but it just gave me motivation to keep going. I know I’m right there around that mark.”
The sophomore studies aviation at Baylor University in Texas. De Gannes continues to train under the guidance of coach Stacey Smith (long jump) and Wendell Williams, locally.
“I’ve always been a runner. Since I moved to America, coach (Michael) Ford helped me with my start, which I was struggling with back in Trinidad.”
Her times have since improved dramatically. “My personal best was 11.8 seconds. I ran 11.49s at my first outdoor meet and then 11.43s. So I was like, okay, maybe I should just jump in the 100 metres.”
Despite the transition to the senior level, De Gannes remains grounded and motivated by her faith, family, and inner circle.
“It’s going to be a fast-paced start for senior in 2026. You could be in the top five this week, and the next week your rankings drop. It’s so competitive… You always have to have that mindset to keep going.”
Born and raised in Bon Accord, Tobago, and a former student of Bishop Anstey High School in Port of Spain, De Gannes intends to continue charting her path on the global athletics stage, one leap at a time.
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"Leap of faith: De Gannes jumps into sprints, transitions from junior to senior"