Many long jumpers are usually good sprinters.
Combining that with high jump is more unusual.
But in the scorching summer heat of the American Championships in Eugene, Oregon, JuVaughn Harrison showed that he masters both disciplines with bravura.
The resilience phenomenon won the high jump competition after being flawless over 2.33.
Five hours later, the 22-year-old entered the long jump competition, where his third jump was the competition's longest: 8.47 in a weak headwind (-0.2), which is also a personal best.
Only the Greek Miltiádis Tentóglou has jumped further this year with his 8.60 in May.
Former roommate with Duplantis
The double victory means that JuVaughn Harrison, originally from Alabama, is the first American to qualify for the Olympics in both long jump and high jump since 1912 when Jim Thorpe did the same.
Someone who is impressed by the achievement is the Swedish-American pole vault star Mondo Duplantis.
The two athletic talents know each other from Louisiana State Universituy where they have been roommates, and Duplantis said a week ago that he does not think people really understand how great it is that Harrison manages to combine the two disciplines.
- The way he does it is so confident.
Long jump and high jump are not the same thing, it is incredibly difficult to switch from one to the other.
It is a completely different rhythm and just very different disciplines in general, Mondo Duplantis said to the university's website on 22 June.