Yual Reath has at all times wished to make a reputation for himself.
“Simply to allow them to know who I’m. Inform them my story,” he explains.
And who’s Yual Reath?
“I contemplate myself a weapon. The excessive bounce king!” he cheekily proclaims.
Reath’s confidence belies a humble, hard-working panorama gardener from Ballarat who’s now on the cusp of an Olympic dream.
The 24-year-old has soared to new heights in 2024 and has nearly actually booked a spot for subsequent month’s Paris video games within the males’s excessive bounce.
Born in South Sudan, there have been few alternatives — Reath may both research, develop into a farmer or a soldier.
And so his household moved to Egypt the place they nervously waited for 18 months earlier than being accepted by Australia when Reath was aged six.
They emigrated and settled within the regional Victorian metropolis of Ballarat, alongside prolonged household.
“I had no gloves. I used to be simply crying as a result of my fingers had been simply frozen and I would by no means seen snow earlier than,” he recollects.
‘Wonderful set of springs’
As a young person, Reath wished to be a soccer or basketball star however his expertise as a excessive jumper shone brighter.
“Only a younger man, uncooked expertise, superb set of springs,” says coach Paul Cleary.
“I’ve seen youngsters who’ve jumped earlier than, I have been doing it for 45 years, so to see the pure capacity to get off the bottom was unbelievable.”
Regardless of Reath’s preliminary reluctance, Cleary persevered, and it paid off when Reath started taking athletics significantly at 18 or 19.
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“In all probability the largest sport changer was the primary time seeing my identify on the Australian rankings. I used to be quantity 10, I used to be so excited,” Reath says.
“I saved enhancing … and every time I am going out and see someone that beats me, subsequent time I wish to beat them. Till I lastly made it to primary now in Australia.”
To earn cash to prop up his burgeoning athletics profession, Reath turned an apprentice panorama gardener, toiling away through the day earlier than excessive leaping at night time.
“It was powerful as a result of some days I used to be like, I simply cannot go to coaching as a result of my physique is simply fully destroyed.”
The guide labour was an excessive amount of and in August he stopped landscaping and his efficiency on the observe improved.
“When he stopped working full-time all the things type of fell into place for us,” says Cleary.
“He was a bit extra cellular at coaching, he wasn’t turning as much as coaching already exhausted.”
The following technology in Australian athletics
This yr, Reath gained the Australian championships and has twice cleared a private finest of two.30 metres, together with successful a gold meet in Tokyo in Might.
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Final week in Fiji, Reath claimed his first Oceania Championships title, clearing 2.28m to complete forward of one in every of his principal Australian rivals, Joel Baden.
Importantly, the lead to Suva pushes Reath into equal tenth on the planet on rating factors, with 32 locations accessible for Paris.
The Olympic qualification window closes on the finish of this month and Australia can choose three male excessive jumpers.
“It might imply the world (to symbolize Australia),” Reath mentioned.
“I personally imagine that I may very well be the following technology of excessive jumpers, however I do not wish to say it but till I show myself.
“So, I am slowly simply ready till I crack them heights and get my identify on the market, after which I may very well be like, ‘Sure, I’m that man, I’m that subsequent technology of excessive jumpers.'”
Reath’s performances have been described as a revelation and his coach believes the 24-year-old is barely getting began.
“Paris or not, the long run’s actually vibrant for him,” says Cleary.
“Most of (Reath’s opponents) have gotten a 10-year head begin on him.
“So I believe our best possible Olympics may very well be Brisbane in ’32. He’ll be 32 years outdated, he’ll have all of the expertise on the planet below his belt and he’ll have a house crowd.
“(However) I can not rely him out from having a red-hot crack on the medals in Paris.”
Leaping for household
Reath mentioned he is prepared to indicate the world he is the brand new child on the block.
“After I jumped 2.30m it was only the start of the journey,” he defined.
“My finish objective is to develop into the primary man to leap 2.40m as a result of it is a 10-year drought. I wish to be that subsequent man to interrupt that 10-year drought. As a result of why cannot it’s me?”
The eldest of 4 siblings, Reath isn’t just leaping for his nation, he is additionally doing it for his household.
“Household is admittedly vital as a result of we have been by the wrestle. We did the huge journey simply to seek out the place the place we will dwell free.”
He desires to make his hard-working mum proud.
“As she at all times says we’re her future. I do all the things along with her in thoughts as a result of I simply wish to succeed for her.
“I wish to reward her, spoil her. As quickly as I get the large pay cheque, I will be like there you go, it is all yours.”
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