On July 30, Roy Leibovitz ’27 won the triple jump at the Israeli Championships, setting a lifetime personal best of 15.59 meters. The Dartmouth sat down with Leibovitz to discuss his gold medal and experience as a full-time student and international athlete.
Can you walk me through the moment you found out you were the national champion?
RL: You get three attempts for field events, and then the top eight get three more attempts. Before those final three, the event organizers reshuffle the order so that the best mark jumps last. That way, if somebody passes you during the final three, you have a shot to respond and try to pass them again or hold your position.
I had a really good mark — a personal best — on the first jump in the finals. From that point on, the pressure was on to see if somebody would pass me, which unfortunately happened the year before, and the year before that. On the last jump, the jumper before me made a strong attempt, but it wasn’t far enough. At that moment, I knew I was the champion.
I felt amazing, and the crowd was cheering hard. They were ecstatic, so I used that momentum, that drive. My last jump ended up being my best — another personal best, twice in the same competition.
What was your training like leading up to the championship?
RL: Training is a year-round commitment — I get roughly two weeks off per year. Earlier this year, I competed in both the Ivy League indoor and outdoor championships, placing third in each. I knew that once I got back home to Tel Aviv, I’d have a real shot to really improve, since my coach is Olympic-level.
Leading up to the championships, I was juggling work and getting really good practices in. I was also dealing with a little bit of injury, but I knew that on the day of the competition, I would be able to shut off the part of my brain that is afraid of the injury and just send it.
Were there any specific challenges you faced during the competition — mental or physical?
RL: Any sport is always a mental battle against yourself, but especially triple jump, because it’s such a foreign movement for the body. I like to hype myself up in training. Occasionally, we’ll do sessions where we compete against each other as if we were in an actual meet. Another thing I like to do in practice and in competitions is imagine I’m in a really big event, like the European Championships, and I have the crowd around me, clapping. At that point, whatever injury you have, it doesn’t matter anymore.
How has being a student here at Dartmouth supported or challenged your athletic goals?
RL: One of the main reasons I chose Dartmouth was the opportunity to combine great academics with athletics. I’ve been doing some really interesting research and have had opportunities I never would have gotten in another place. Being able to pair that with access to facilities to train at the highest level has made my goals more ambitious, both in academics and track. I couldn’t do either alone.
Now that you've reached this level, what goals are you most eager to tackle next?
RL: There’s a qualifying mark for the European Championship that’s set so six people make it directly, and then the rest of the competitors are selected based on global rankings. They aim to have around thirty competitors in total. This year, it looks like I have a shot at qualifying through the global rankings. As a kid, you dream about making it to the European Championships, and then to the Olympics. Now that it’s gone from being a dream to something actually within reach, it’s super exciting. It’s going to be an exciting year.
I’m also really looking forward to the Ivy League Championships, both indoor and outdoor. It’s a medal I’ve been chasing for the past two years, and I’ve felt ready throughout that time. I’ve had some really strong competitors in the field there, and it’s such an exciting atmosphere to be in. I think Dartmouth 100% has the best team spirit out of all the teams in the Ivy League. The energy we bring just makes Ivies such an exciting competition, even more than others I’ve been to globally. The Israeli National Championships next year will also be a good chance to gain more points in the global rankings.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Annabelle Zhang '27 is a reporter and editor from New Jersey. In the classroom, she studies Geography and Government modified with Philosophy and Economics. She enjoys creating recipes, solving puzzles and listening to music.
