SINGAPORE – Heading into the Jan 26-27 PSU National Invitational, national high jumper Kampton Kam did not have too many expectations.

In addition to spending the last few months recovering from an Achilles injury and a heel bruise, the school term had also just started for the University of Pennsylvania sophomore.

A national record was not on the cards, but Kam leapt 2.15m at the Penn State University Multi-Sport Facility on Jan 27 to better his previous indoor high jump national mark by 7cm.

The achievement was a timely boost for the 22-year-old, who is aiming to qualify for the national championships of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He also has a more lofty target in the 2024 season: Earning a spot at the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Olympic Games.

He said: “I have been dealing with some nagging injuries since the Asian Games then there were finals and starting school, so I’ve been taking the time to get back in form and rehabilitate with the injury... It’s a step in the right direction.”

Over the winter break, Kam also attended a training camp in Japan, where he was able to fine-tune his routine.

For example, he has been working on a 10-step run-up for his jumps, as compared to an eight-step approach before the Asian Games, to get more speed and obtain a better curve.

Kam noted that the 2.15m mark in his third competition of the season was achieved with a six-step run-up, which was an encouraging sign.

To qualify for the NCAA indoor track and field championships in March, he will need to be among the top 16 in the NCAA’s rankings for indoor high jumpers.

He is also chasing his school’s indoor and outdoor records, which stand at 2.24m and 2.28m respectively.

Getting to the Olympics, however, will be tougher as he will have to hit the qualifying height of 2.33m or finish among the top 32 in the world rankings by June.

Kam, who hit his outdoor personal best of 2.20m in April 2022, is determined to give it a try.

His experiences in the past two years have only hardened his resolve. In 2022, a collapsed lung forced him to withdraw from the Hanoi SEA Games. A year later, the injury-hit athlete learnt that his mother had cancer and he also missed out on qualifying for the outdoor regionals.

He said: “A season could turn out very unfavourable sometimes and it’s about trying to learn from the experience but also trying not to put too much emphasis on the failures.

“What I learnt was how to do better in terms of how I keep a positive attitude... Being able to do what I love is something I don’t take for granted. Every time I’m jumping and competing, I treat it like it’s my last competition.”

He also received some sound advice from former national high jumper Wong Yew Tong – holder of the outdoor national record of 2.22m set in 1995 – who told him to be patient.

Former women’s high jump record holder Yu Long Nyu, who has been coaching Kam since he was nine, is encouraged by his recent performances.

She is working closely with his coaches in the United States, adding: “It’s important to have consistent performances, this makes it easier to allow the coaches to work towards the plan.

“We will try our best. Whatever the result is, it will definitely benefit us.”