Rohaan Simons’s prediction that his long-held record would fall last evening during the Secondary Schools Track Meet came true when CedarBridge student Jah-Nhai Perinchief set a new height in the over-16 high jump at the National Sports Centre last night.

Simons, the Bermuda National Athletics Association high jump coach, had said the day before that his record of 2.05 metres from 1994 would fall to Perinchief during the night of finals. So said, so done, as Perinchief cleared the bar at 2.06 metres. He then failed at two attempts at 2.09 before calling it quits when he started to feel sore.

Perinchief, 17, who has already qualified for the Carifta Games next month in St Kitts, has a personal best jump of 2.10 which he managed at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China last year.

“He just came off an injury when he was out for three weeks and has had just a week and a half full training,” Simons said. “This ‘record’ is like a weight off my shoulders.

“It really makes me happy, because even under the conditions he still prevailed and stuck to his guns. He’s very focused, it’s easy to make excuses but he stuck to his task like the professional he’s going to be.”

Perinchief also won the triple jump on Thursday and placed second in the long jump yesterday. He is one of eight athletes who have so far reached standards for Carifta and this afternoon’s track meet at the National Sports Centre will be the last opportunity for Bermuda athletes to qualify for the Games.