One year after leaving Rio in the dreaded fourth position, 2016 Bowerman Award winner Jarrion Lawson earned his first global medal with a silver performance in the long jump with a top mark of 8.44m.

The 23-year-old former Arkansas Razorback boasted the top jump of 8.37m in the first round, but Olympic silver medalist Luvo Manyonga of South Africa took over the lead in the second round with a leap of 8.48m. Lawson recorded three more jumps over 8.40m, including a final leap of 8.44m, but could not bypass Manyonga's 8.48m, which would stand as the winning mark.

Manyonga's countryman, Ruswahl Samaai, earned the bronze medal with a top mark of 8.32m.


"That last jump, I told my coach it was going to be a big one," he said to USATF. "We just needed to get on the board and let it be fair. When I made the jump, I knew it was going to be close but I didn't know where and it was four centimeters off. I'm just thankful to God to have a silver medal this year. I'm thankful that I'm not satisfied with silver and that I always want gold. This is going to be the first [medal] of many for me. This is definitely an improvement from last year and I'm looking to make improvements from this year."

Lawson was the only American to make the final. Defending Olympic champion Jeff Henderson and Marquis Dendy placed seventh and 11th in the qualifying round with bests of 7.84m and 7.78m, respectively.