Or is leaping ability the major factor?
Or is leaping ability the major factor?
I ain't no expert but it looks to me like jumping ability is a key requirement for success in long jump.
Not all good long jumpers are fast, but the BEST long jumpers are pretty fast. So it definitely helps the long jump to be fast, but you've still got to be able to jump. And since 27 feet puts you at the top of the top of the long jump, I don't think just being fast (top 10 or 15 in the world) will guarantee you to be a good long jumper.
But there is probably a guy running sub 10 that has probably never long jumped, or at least not in the past 5 years, that could surprise people.