Paris Olympics 2024: How Hamish Kerr has transformed into one of the world’s best high jumpers

Hamish Kerr. Photosport

During the last Olympics in Tokyo, Hamish Kerr could be spotted sitting in the stadium grandstand, completing some outstanding University work. In the midst of the sporting extravaganza, the high jump exponent – now one of the best in the world - was finishing off an assignment as part of an accounting diploma.

“I had an essay due and so I went down to one of the track and field sessions and just kind of parked up in the stands with my laptop,” Kerr tells the Herald. “I was engrossed in trying to get that done and I looked up and there was races going on and the women’s high jump qualifying was happening at the time. The world was shut down and no one was even in the stadium, so it was quite funny I was sitting there doing my uni work.”

It’s an amusing story, though one that belongs firmly in the past. There won’t be empty grandstands in Paris – as the Covid pandemic is a distant memory – but more importantly Kerr’s days of juggling athletics with work or study are over, such has been his rise in the intervening years.

Hamish Kerr: Mandatory credit: Simon Stacpoole / www.photosport.nz

He was already an accomplished jumper when he arrived in the Japanese capital in July 2021 and performed well, with a 2.30m vault to finish a creditable 10th. But since then Kerr has gone from good to great. This is borne out by the numbers; before Tokyo he had six lifetime jumps over 2.25m, including one greater than 2.30m. Now the abacus looks completely different; 12 more over 2.25m, with seven of those over 2.30m, including twice clearing 2.33m, a 2.34m and the magical 2.36m in Glasgow last March.

Beyond the statistics, the Auckland-raised, Christchurch-based Kerr has shown an ability to rise to the occasion, no longer just part of the hunting pack. In 13 Diamond League meets since 2022 Kerr has been outside the top six just once, collecting half a dozen podium finishes in the process, including three firsts. There was also gold at the 2023 world indoor final in Birmingham, the 2022 Commonwealth Games triumph in the same city and the historic first place at the world indoor championships earlier this year. It’s been a significant transformation.

“The expectation is probably a big change,” admits Kerr. “My sustainability as an athlete, the kind of things I do day in, day out and live and breathe the sport. Three years ago, I was coming in and out of the really high performance space and that was something that seemed quite intense. Whereas nowadays, I spend a lot more time training and competing at Diamond League level and world champs level so it feels a little bit more normal.”

Hamish Kerr of New Zealand. Photosport

The other difference is around his physical capability and confidence. After years of piece by piece refinement, there is more trust in the process along with a greater knowledge of what makes him tick. Kerr describes a pre-Tokyo buildup where they were “looking for jumps”, unsure of what would be possible. Ultimately it worked out at the Games but now the formula is much more concrete.

“It’s much more around a sense of inevitability, in the process working out,” explains Kerr. “And then just being able to be free and open with what happens at the end of that.”

Not that it has been an easy road. Far from it. After working so hard to get to a certain level, Kerr decided to re-tool everything in 2023. It was a gamble – like a top golfer rebuilding his swing – but seen as necessary, to reach the next level. It was a “scary” process and there were hiccups, most noticeably at the world championships last year, where Kerr missed the final, in a major surprise, after failing to clear 2.25m in qualifying.

“I was caught guessing,” explains Kerr. “That’s natural when you change a lot of stuff, you go away from what feels natural.”

Now he’s in a good place.

“We’re at the next plateau, the next normal and we know what things are going to make me jump as high as I can right now,” says Kerr.

The journey has also involved a change of coach, away from long time mentor Terry Lomax and linking with former strength and conditioning trainer and close friend James Sandilands. That switch created headlines but was always planned and fairly seamless according to Kerr. Lomax had wanted to scale back his involvement, while Kerr had different requirements as he was on the road more and more.

“There was a transition period there where Jimmy became involved in the program and was almost shadowing Terry,” explains Kerr. “So that when we got to the point where Terry did step back, [but] all that [intellectual property], the processes, the way that Terry works and all the great things that he has, it wasn’t lost. That’s a real testament to Jim and Terry’s personalities and [their] lack of ego to be able to make that happen.”

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Kerr couldn’t be in a better frame of mind heading into Paris, following a successful year. After the Glasgow flash, there were podium finishes across consecutive Diamond League events in China. He topped the board at a meet in Holland earlier this month, then soared to 2.33 at the Monaco Diamond League on July 13 for another gold.

“It’s been amazing, seeing the level that I always knew I was capable of achieving starting to get realized,” says Kerr. “It’s credit to the changes that we’ve made and the hard work we’re putting in.”

A series of training blocs have been productive, most recently a month spent in Athens, Georgia, where compatriot and good friend Tom Walsh was also preparing. They have similar personalities – and hobbies – “we can both hack our way round a golf course” – which breaks up the workload and pressure.

He’ll have one more meet in London (July 21 NZT) before a short pre-camp in France (Montpellier), then business time in Paris.

“I’m really well placed,” says Kerr. “Instead of going into these big competitions and feeling like I need to find something it’s more around just going out there and trying to execute”

Paris will also be special for the presence of his girlfriend, his family and some friends from home.

“Obviously last time there were no spectators,” says Kerr. “This is going to be a completely different kettle of fish for me. It almost feels like it will be my first Olympics and it will be awesome to share what I do with them.”

And have no extra homework.