But for the small matter of Canadian citizenship, Sudbury would be home to a national long jump champion these days.

A Laurentian University student since his arrival in northern Ontario in September of 2020, Burkina Faso native Marvin Zongo registered the two longest jumps at the Canadian Track & Field Championships in Ottawa at the end of June.

His leaps of 7.73 and 7.71 metres not only outdistanced Olympic decathlete and second place finisher Damien Warner by more than 30 centimetres (7.39m), they also represented a personal best by nearly 40 cm for the 25 year-old Track North rising star.

Unfortunately, the fact that he is in Canada on a work permit (until 2025) disqualified him from claiming a national title – though he would love nothing more than to obtain his permanent residency - ASAP.

Okay – Zongo would love to qualify for the Olympics, some day, more than obtaining his permanent residency – but quite honestly, this thought had not even remotely entered his mind until he unleashed a performance in the nation’s capital that blew away all previous efforts for the talkative young man who captured silver in the triple jump at the OUA championships in 2022.

There was some cautious optimism, to be sure, as Zongo readied himself for his first jump in his first appearance at the all-Canada meet. “Everything was set for me to perform well at Olympic Trials,” he said, the competition doubling as a final qualifier for the Paris Games this summer.

“Usually, when I go to my (big) meets, I don’t have my coach, I don’t have my teammates,” Zongo continued. “I drive myself and compete. It’s very hard to be a coach and athlete at the same time. At nationals, I had three coaches, five other athletes from our club and some friends from Montreal.”

“Everything was there mentally to help me to be my best.”

Looking to ensure a berth in the top eight and the extra jumps that go with it, Zongo played it safe, to start, his flights of 7.16m, 7.33m and 6.93m leaving the young man who starred in the West African games up near the top of the leaderboard.

Then he got serious.

“In my last three jumps, I was feeling it and just went for it,” he said. “I hit the board properly and when I landed in the sand, I knew I was there.”

For as much as this was a breakthrough meet for Zongo, it wasn’t as though he emerged from complete anonymity. An all-around track athlete back in his native land, the man who eyes a future in international diplomacy suggested that at least some of his recent success comes part and parcel of the training he has done for the sprints and hurdles in years gone by.

“I was doing a lot of speed work for the sprints,” said Zongo. “It might only be for 30 or 40 metres, but you need that speed translating to your jumps. And the rhythm that you use to attack the hurdles is the same rhythm you use to attack the board in the jumps.”

In and of themselves, his recent accomplishments are impressive.

Super-imposed over a training regimen in Sudbury that does not see him doing any actual jumping in a pit until the Laurentian outdoor track is available for use, typically in April, his performance has folks wondering where his top-end potential might peak.

An eight metre jump would certainly put Zongo in the conversation for international competitions – once he secures his residency. The challenges that lie therein are the topic of a completely separate story – but suffice to say that the young man who is brimming with a confidence that sits far beyond his previous mojo is looking to settle in Sudbury and willing to accept any help that will make this happen.

Marvin Zongo has taken a quantum leap forward, in more ways than one.

“I was going to nationals hoping to have the best long jump competition I have ever had,” he stated. “Now, I am feeling good – and I did not peak yet.”

In fact, he very quickly identifies where improvement most lies.

“I am mostly jumping with my speed because I am struggling with my technique,” said Zongo. “Technique takes time. If your rhythm is off, even a little, you are faulting – and in big competitions, those are mistakes that you cannot make.”

Not if you want to call yourself a national champion – but for that damn citizenship issue.

Anyone who wishes to speak to Marvin Zongo about ways in which they can support his desire to both become a Canadian citizen - which requires him to be working - and also represent Canada on the international track and field stage can call him at (705) 372-3436