Decathlon’s passion for sports attracts countless sports lovers to join the family. Our City Sport Team Leader Edmond is one of them. Being the Hong Kong triple jumpers, his passion sports are triple jump and running.
Edmond developed a passion for running in secondary school. He first came into contact with the triple jump during Form 4.
“The first time I tried triple jump was to help my school qualify for the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Competition. I hadn’t had formal training – the coach had seen me do long jump before, so he invited me to join. I did not get any record in my first competition due to the three fouls. But I’m the kind of person who is motivated by failure. I will keep trying until I succeed. Besides, I really love the feeling of staying in the air.” Since then, Edmond started to train in triple jump and running simultaneously.
Starting with a no-record jump in the first competition, Edmond now ranked the 3rd in the HKAAA Pre-season Trial this year (2023). The story behind the success is 5 days of training every week for 8 years, which is almost as much as a professional athlete does.
This year, he even paid for his own training in Tokyo during his holiday to improve his athletic performance.
“Ranking the top in Asia, Japan is famous for its high standards in skills. Plus, Asians share a similar build. The coach could easily work on my weaknesses and help me progress. During the training, I encountered other passionate triple jumpers with a similar background. They also had a full-time job and took a leave for training.”
Passion for sports easily connects people from different backgrounds. Despite ranking among Hong Kong’s less popular sports, the triple jump has given Edmond the opportunity to meet many like-minded individuals. “Hong Kong doesn’t have many triple-jump competitions. There are only around 20 of us on the scene. We compete against one another, keep each other motivated, and have become friends over the years.”
When Edmond applied for university, he wanted to become a track and field coach in the future and help the athletes improve with science. This passion for sports motivated him to take on Sports Science, which became his Major.
Upon his graduation, Edmond worked as a track and field coach for a while. He later wanted to play a different role in promoting triple jump and running. As a result, Edmond joined Decathlon and has worked there for more than four years. He only found out later that Decathlon set up many design centers in France, one of which focuses on track product development. Currently, he works in procurement and sourcing suitable running and track products from the French headquarter for the Hong Kong market.
To choose the track products that match the needs of Hong Kong people, Edmond enjoys talking to sports users about their run experiences. It enables him to gain a better understanding of their needs. “I was once in charge of the free long-run training class. Besides running training, I also talked about sports injuries. What makes me happiest and most remarkable is answering the new runners’ injuries questions.”
The KIPRUN KS900 Light gives you the best compromise between low weight and shock absorption. Our Decathlon design teams in France developed these running shoes for you to eat up the miles in training or competition.
Cushioning
Soft and responsive cushioning thanks to the new MFOAM material.
Lightweight
252 g in size 8
Grip
The sole's geometrical shape provides excellent grip on damp ground.
Credits: Runner's World HK