Kampton Kam breaks 30-year national high jump record

New Paper

11-05-2025

​Just days before the 2025 South Florida Invitational, national high jumper Kampton Kam faced uncertainty about competing in the meet.
The Singaporean had felt discomfort in his knee on his take-off leg after he "tweaked" it on April 7.
On top of his fitness issues, Kam, an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, also had to take a test - which was worth 30 per cent of the grades for a class - on the day of his trip to Florida.
However, demonstrating resilience and determination, he overcame this setback to set a new national outdoor high jump record by clearing 2.25m on April 11, surpassing the previous mark of 2.22m held by Wong Yew Tong since the 1995 SEA Games.
He said: "Despite all this, I felt in the right headspace. I felt excitement going into the meet instead of hesitation and apprehension over whether my knee was going to flare up, I just let it take its course."
During the warmup, Kam was encouraged after clearing 2.15m, and his coach Joseph Klim boosted his confidence by saying, "I think you're going to jump 2.25m today".
He began the competition at 2.05m, then cleared 2.10m, 2.15m and 2.20m in succession. Eventually, only Kam and Grand Valley State University's Jaivon Harrison remained in the competition, and the bar was raised to 2.25m.
Both competitors failed their first two attempts at the new height. On his third try, Kam felt his body make contact with the bar.
After landing on the mat, he watched anxiously as the bar wobbled slightly, appearing to move in slow motion. Drawing from his years of experience, Kam felt confident the bar would remain in place - and it did.
After securing the win ahead of Harrison (2.20m) and Jonathan Rankins-James (2.05m), he attempted to rewrite his unversity's record of 2.29m, but he did not clear the height.
But Kam had already achieved a goal that he been chasing for years. On rewriting the national record, he said: "I've had many instances along the way, people have told me you're almost there, be patient.
"Yew Tong told me at the World University Games in 2023, 'Hey, the time is coming, to be patient, be healthy and it's yours. I'm rooting for you to get this record, it's been too long'.
"For me it's not so much about my achievement but more of this ardent support I've had over the years."
Former women's high jump record holder Yu Long Nyu, who began coaching Kam at age nine, praised Klim and his US-based team.
"The record boosts his SEA Games podium chances and Olympic dreams," she said.
"Last year's injuries were challenging, but acupuncture has proven effective. With Singapore Sport Institute's support in maintaining his fitness, his training results have improved significantly."
The support from his coaches, friends and family has been crucial amid the setbacks he faced.
At the Singapore Open in April 2022, he came close to the national mark with a 2.20m effort. But months after, a collapsed lung forced him to withdraw from the Hanoi SEA Games.
After a year that brought news of his mother's cancer and failure to qualify for outdoor regionals, 2024 hit Kam with sesamoiditis and stress injuries to his wrist and back, forcing him to miss multiple outdoor meets.
Now, following a strong outdoor-season start, the holder of national Under-18, Under-20, and indoor records aims to compete in World Athletics Continental Tour silver and gold events.
His 2.25m achievement positions him favourably for June's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics competition, where he currently ranks first among collegiate competitors.
Additionally, he aims to secure a universality spot for September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, while also targeting participation in the World University Games in July and the SEA Games in December.
Kam said: "It hasn't really settled in my mind that 2.25m is No. 1 in the NCAA, 20th in the world, because to me it's always not been about that number, it's more about how can I always improve to reach my best and be the best version of myself.
"I'm just really excited for the rest of the year."