Tyrone Smith says he could not have timed his return to form any better as he prepares for the athletics World Championships in London next month.

The long jumper put a run of disappointing performances in Europe behind him to place second with a leap of 8.06 metres at the Invitational Permit Meet at the National Stadium last weekend.

Smith competes in the ninth stop of the Diamond League in London this weekend, a dress rehearsal for the World Championships, also at the London Stadium, from August 4 to 13.

He said that breaking the eight-metres barrier in Bermuda has boosted his confidence, which suffered a dip in Europe, before his fifth appearance at the championships.

“This jump helps get my confidence back a little bit,” Smith said. “I wanted to go bigger and it’s not a terrible jump, although I’m definitely capable of better. Hopefully I’ll pull it out in London. We’re back on track now!”

Smith’s close friend Mike Hartfield, an American Olympian, won the Permit Meet with a leap of 8.21. Although Smith hoped for a win in front of his home crowd, he was delighted with the support he received.

“I know Mike’s capable of jumping at any time, so I knew I couldn’t afford to waste any jumps,” said Smith, who jumped over eight metres for the first time in Bermuda. “It’s always good to have that bit of pressure, but it’s also good not have ten guys who can go 8.40 on you.

“It’s nice to hear people say my name and cheer for me in the crowd. You don’t get that all of the time, so it’s nice to get that type of support at home.”

It has been a season of highs and lows for the Bermudian who broke his own national record at the Tom Tellez Invitational Meet in Houston in May with a personal best of 8.34.

Smith has struggled to hit those heights since, though, enduring a tough European tour last month, finishing seventh at the FBK Games in the Netherlands (7.82), third at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland (7.69) and second at the TMP Weitsprung Meeting in Bad Langensalza, Germany, (7.91).

“It’s been a little bit of an up and down season,” said the three-times Olympian.

“I really wasn’t happy with how the tour went in Europe. I was over there trying to get things going but it didn’t quite go the way I wanted it to.

“But you’ve got to love having a new PB and national record. I’d like to move forward a bit before the worlds just to prove that wasn’t a fluke, a one-off. It’s been a good season so far with the exception of that dip in Europe.”

Smith’s previous best of 8.22 saw him claim a gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, in 2010.

The Houston-based athlete was unable to carry that form into a major competition, however, as there was not a World Championships nor Olympics that year.

“This is definitely the best season I’ve had going into a World Championship season,” the 32-year-old said. “I’m really excited about that.”

Previously jointly coached by Kyle Tellez and American legend Carl Lewis, Smith felt he needed a fresh voice after missing out on the Olympic finals in Rio, with Wesley Bray, a former training partner and decathlete, now overseeing his progress.

“We’re learning a little bit about how to work with each other,” said Smith, who has already qualified for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, in April next year.

“He came with me to that series in Europe, but I’m really happy with the decision. We’re working on things and it’s showing.”