Bailey ... making the leap to the big stage. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

National long jump champion Alain Bailey is headed for the world championships believing that a medal is well within the realm of possibility. The Arkansas Razorback won his first national title in June on his last jump, a personal best 8.21 metres, that put him a lot closer to some of the best jumpers in the world this year.

"The jumps this year have not been out of my reach. There have been guys jumping what I jumped at the national trials and on any given day 8.30m can get a medal. That's not far, that's not out of my reach," he said.

Definitely not, considering that his winning distance at the trial was a 15-cm improvement on his previous best of 8.06 metres set in Louisville, Kentucky in May.

The United States' Dwight Phillips' 8.74m and Panama's Irving Saladino, 8.63m, own the top two jumps so far this season. Between them, they are also responsible for the top six jumps in the world.

Marketing major

Since the trials, Bailey has not jumped competitively. The day following the national trials, he returned to school, the University of Arkansas, where he completed his studies for the academic year and only returned to Jamaica last week Friday to spend time with his dad, sports journalist Earl Bailey, his family and friends.

The marketing management major is also making the downtime count in more ways than one. "I have been practising, working on some technical stuff," he said, adding that he is spending a lot of time running to improve his endurance. "I am resting. I think I can do well in Berlin. I just need to get to the camp (in Nuremberg) and get some things done, some fine-tuning. I think I'll be ready."

Ready for what will be the biggest competition of his life. The magnitude of the world championships is not lost on the Kingston College old boy.

Though he is used to performing before large crowds at the ISSA Boys and Girls' Championships and at the intensely competitive NCAA Championships, he is well aware that nothing he has done so far will prepare him to compete at this, the highest level of the sport on the world stage.

Never been to Europe

"I think about it a lot," he said. "Nothing is going to compare to what it really is. I have never been to Europe so that will be an experience. It will be amazing for me to go and compete for my country at such a high level, the highest level of track and field."

Bailey will have big shoes to fill, as James Beckford, a two-time world championship silver medallist as well as the 1996 Olympic silver medallist, did not turn up to the national trials in June. The St Mary-born long jumper, who debuted for Jamaica at the world championships in 1995 has a personal best of 8.62m and has represented Jamaica for the past 15 years.

"Had he been there, I would have definitely spoken to him," Bailey said, revealing his admiration for Jamaica's best ever, long jumper, whose mantle he now bears.

"He is definitely one of the top jumpers of all time. He won a lot of medals for Jamaica. I use him as a guide of where I need to be."

This, however, is only the first step towards what the 22-year-old jumper expects to be in a few years. James Beckford's national record is next in his sights and then perhaps world domination by 2012. "I love to be the best in everything I do. That's a dream for me and I'll be working towards that," he said, adding that his achievements at the highest level will mean much more than satisfying his own personal ambitions.

"It's a privilege to represent my country and make everybody proud."