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Christian Taylor (athlete)

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Christian Taylor
Taylor after his victory in Beijing 2015
Personal information
National team United States
Born (1990-06-18) June 18, 1990 (age 34)
Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1]
Weight175 lb (79 kg)
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Triple jump, long jump
College teamUniversity of Florida
ClubNike
Coached byRana Reider (until 2021)[2]
Retired2024[3]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • Triple Jump: 18.21m
  • Long Jump: 8.19m
  • 400 m: 45.07
Medal record
Men's athletics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 0
World Championships 4 0 0
World Indoor Championships 0 1 0
IAAF World Relays 1 0 0
World Youth Championships 1 0 1
Total 8 1 1
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Triple jump
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Triple jump
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Daegu Triple jump
Gold medal – first place 2015 Beijing Triple jump
Gold medal – first place 2017 London Triple jump
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha Triple jump
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2012 Istanbul Triple jump
World Relay Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Nassau 4×400 m relay
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Bydgoszcz 4x400 m relay
World Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Ostrava Triple jump
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Ostrava Long jump
Representing Americas
Continental Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Ostrava Triple jump
Gold medal – first place 2018 Ostrava Mixed 4×400 m relay

Christian Taylor (born June 18, 1990) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the triple jump and has a personal record of 18.21 m (59 ft 8+3⁄4 in), which ranks 2nd on the all-time list.

He was the triple jump champion and long jump bronze medalist at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics. He established himself as a top level triple jumper at the University of Florida, where he won back-to-back NCAA Indoor titles and then consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship titles in 2010 and 2011. Taylor won his first USA Outdoor national title in 2011.

He followed his national title with a win in the triple jump at the 2011 World Championships, upsetting the field with the tenth best jump in history. He was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team and won the gold medal in the triple jump at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He placed fourth at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, but regained his title at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. He won the gold medal in the triple jump at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro with a jump of 17.86m.[4] In 2017, Taylor once again stormed to victory in the triple jump at 2017 World Championships in Athletics with a jump of 17.68m. Coming to the 2019 World Championships in Doha as the defending champion, Taylor took his fourth world title in the triple jump by producing a 17.92m jump.

He also competes in the long jump – with a best of 8.19 m (26 ft 10+1⁄4 in) – and in the sprints to a high level: his best for the 400-meter dash is 45.07[5] seconds and he has run 20.70 seconds for the 200-meter dash.[6]

In 2019, Taylor announced the formation of "The Athletics Association," an organization of professional track and field athletes around the world, independent of IAAF, to advocate for athlete rights.[7]

Career

[edit]

Early life and career

[edit]

Born in Fayetteville, Georgia to Barbadian parents, he attended Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in Tyrone GA, and first learned how to triple jump there.[8] He also attended Robert J Burch Elementary School and participated in their running club; he later attended Sandy Creek High School and played for their football and track and field teams. He set state high school records in the long jump, triple jump and the 400-meter dash, later going on to score a hat-trick of titles in those events at the 2008 National Scholastic Indoor Championships.[9] He made his first international appearances while he was a high school student: he won the triple jump gold medal at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics and also claimed the long jump bronze.[10] The following year he was a finalist in both jumps at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics.[6]

Taylor went on to attend the University of Florida, recruited by coach Rana Reider, in 2009 and in his first year he won three titles at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships (long jump, triple jump, 4×400-meter relay). At the NCAA Indoor Championship he won the triple jump, came sixth in the long jump and helped Florida reach third on the podium in the relay. He closed his first year with a third-place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Taylor established himself as the one of his country's best with a clearance of 17.18 m in March 2010, which made him the best American triple jumper that year.[11] He was unrivalled in the event collegiately as he won both the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles, and completed an Indoor/Outdoor NCAA double. On top of this, he won two further SEC titles in the relay, was third in the long jump at the SEC Indoors, and jumped a personal record of 8.19 m as the SEC Outdoors runner-up.[9] Away from collegiate competition, he also won triple and long jump titles at the 2010 NACAC Under-23 Championships,[12] and was the silver medallist behind Kenta Bell at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[13]

2011 World Champion

[edit]

He began his 2011 season with a personal and championship record triple jump of 17.36 m to claim the SEC Indoor title ahead of fellow Florida Gator Will Claye.[14] He was also runner-up in the relay and eighth in the long jump.[9] At the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships their positions were reversed, as Taylor finished second and Claye succeeded his teammate as the NCAA indoor champion.[15] The pair continued their rivalry at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and delivered one of the highest calibre triple jump contests in the history of the competition. A good wind conditions aided the jumpers to marks over 17.30 m in the opening rounds, then Taylor took the lead with a personal record of 17.40 m (wind at the 2.0 m/s limit). Claye regained the lead by a centimetre, only for Taylor to respond with a wind-assisted 17.80 m which was enough to secure a second consecutive NCAA Outdoor title.[16]

The two Florida Gators both took their talents to the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where they repeated their top-two finish as Taylor claimed his first national title with a wind-assisted 17.49 m.[17] Taylor proved himself to be a contender for a world medal as he defeated all comers at the London Grand Prix, including the reigning world champion Phillips Idowu, with a personal best jump of 17.68 m.[18]

At the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Taylor won the triple jump title with a distance of 17.96 m, a personal best for him and beating defending champion Phillips Idowu.[19] Idowu started the competition with a jump of 17.56 m. Then proceeded to jump 17.38 m and 17.70 m on his second and third attempt and looked poised to win the gold after jumping 17.77 m on his fourth attempt. Taylor never really looked like a serious gold medal threat before his fourth jump. He started with a no mark on his first attempt and only managed to jump 17.04 m and 17.40 m on his second and third attempt, respectively. On Taylor's fourth attempt, he leaped a distance of 17.96 m, a huge improvement from his previous personal best of 17.68 m, and was good enough for the gold medal. The jump was also the tenth best jump in history. Idowu could not respond to Taylor's distance and had to settle for the silver medal.[20]

2012 season

[edit]

He came second to Will Claye at both the USA Indoor Championships and the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, although his clearance of 17.63 m was an indoor personal best.[21] He defeated his rival at the 2012 Prefontaine Classic with a meet record jump of 17.62 m in June.[22]

Taylor defeated Claye by 8 cm at the Olympic Trials as both went on to represent the United States at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Third place at those trials, Walter Davis and no other American achieved a qualifying mark all season, so only the two Americans went to the Olympics.

At the Olympics, Taylor was first in the qualifying round. In the final, Taylor fouled his first two attempts, putting him in danger of being eliminated. On his third attempt he jumped 17.15 to move into 6th place, but more importantly securing an opportunity to take three more attempts. With his fourth jump, he went on to produce his best effort of the season 17.81 m (58 ft 5 in) to win the gold medal. Claye would go on to finish second with a jump of 17.62 m, capturing his second medal of the 2012 games after a bronze in the long jump. For the second year in a row, Taylor's 17.81m was the best triple jump in the world in 2012.

2013 Move to England

[edit]

Taylor's coach, Rana Reider, was hired by British Athletics in late 2012 to work with elite-level British sprinters and jumpers at the High Performance Athletics Centre (HiPAC) at Loughborough University. Taylor followed Reider to the English Midlands after the 2012 London Olympics. Taylor talked about the transition to living and training in England in a "Feature Interview" for Track & Field News magazine April 2014 issue. He said the biggest challenge was the cooler weather (compared to what he enjoyed in Gainesville, Florida), but that he enjoyed living in an apartment in the center of Loughborough and being able to skateboard the one mile to the HiPAC facility.

2014 Outdoor Season, Addition of the 400 Meters

[edit]

In an April 2014 "Feature Interview" for Track & Field News, Taylor said that, after finishing 2013 ranked No. 2 in the world, he and coach Reider planned to treat 2014 as "a down year", since there were no World or Olympic championships.[23] He planned to run a lot more. As a way of mixing-up his training, he planned to compete in some 400 Meter races in the United States, beginning with the Florida Relays in Gainesville on April 4–5, 2014. Taylor once ran 400 Meters in 45.34 seconds during his freshman year (2009) at the University of Florida. [Note: Running under 45 seconds would place Taylor amongst the world's elite quarter-milers.] At the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Taylor ran 45.17 making him a unique dual threat.

2015; American record

[edit]
Taylor at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in 2015

Taylor opened season in a competitive event at Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix. His 18.04 m (59 ft 2 in) on his final attempt equalled the number 4 performer in history, Teddy Tamgho. Coming into the meet, that would be the third best mark, however earlier in the rounds 21-year-old Pedro Pablo Pichardo had jumped 18.06 m (59 ft 3 in), so Taylor was jumping just to try to get out of second place, Tamgho in third had already hobbled off the track injured.

This was the first competition in history to have two men jump over 18 metres, already called "the greatest triple jump competition ever.".[24] Two weeks later, Pichardo improved again to 18.08m and in July, Taylor became the second man in history to jump 18 metres twice in the same competition at Lausanne while improving his personal best to 18.06m.

Taylor overcame Pichardo at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. His jump of 18.21 m (59 ft 8+3⁄4 in) was the No. 2 jump in history and beat the Cuban by almost 50 cm. The jump ranks just 8 cm behind the World Record of Jonathan Edwards. It set a new American record in the event.[25][26] Taylor then went on to overtake his Cuban rival again at the final stop of the Diamond League,[27] taking home his fourth consecutive Diamond League title with a jump of 17.59m.

2016 Olympic Games

[edit]

At the Olympic Trials, Claye beat Taylor 17.65m to 17.39m, but Taylor finished second and qualified to go to Rio to defend his Olympic championship from London. Chris Benard was the third American also qualifying to Rio.

In the Olympics in Rio, again Taylor was the No. 1 qualifier from the qualifying round. In the final, Taylor's first attempt was 17.86 m (58 ft 7 in).[28] This mark was enough to edge out his teammate Will Claye (17.76) and China's Dong Bin (17.58). This feat made Taylor the first repeat champion in the Triple Jump since 1976. Russian Viktor Saneyev was the last to achieve this feat, receiving 4 medals in his career. Following the competition Taylor said "The job is done. I never thought on my first jump that would be the gold medal. I wanted it so much. It came together, the stars aligned."

2017

[edit]

At the Prefontaine Classic, Taylor jumped the fourth best jump in history, 18.11 m (59 ft 4+3⁄4 in).[29] As defending champion, Taylor was given an automatic entry into the World Championships. As Diamond League Champion, he also earned an automatic entry into the World Championships, so he chose not to compete at the American championships, won by Claye in his personal best 17.91m. At the World Championships, Benard was the No. 1 qualifier, but a non-factor in the final. After Claye took the first round lead, Taylor took over the lead in the second and hit his 17.68m winner in the third round to successfully defend his world championship.

2021

[edit]
Final jump of Taylor's career at the Holloway Pro Classic at the University of Florida

Taylor did not participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games due a chronic Achilles injury.[30]

Taylor left the British training group of sprint coach Rana Reider once reports emerged of the SafeSport investigation of Reider for sexual misconduct.[31]

Major competition record

[edit]
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the  United States
2007 World Youth Championships Ostrava, Czech Republic 3rd Long jump 7.29 m
1st Triple jump 15.98 m
2008 World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 7th Long jump 7.41 m (wind: -0.1 m/s)
8th Triple jump 15.61 m (wind: -0.7 m/s)
1st (h)[32] 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.25
2010 NACAC U23 Championships Miramar, Florida, United States 1st Long jump 7.82 m (wind: +0.0 m/s)
1st Triple jump 16.66 m (wind: 1.2 m/s)
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 1st Triple jump 17.96 m
2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 2nd Triple jump 17.63 m
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st Triple jump 17.81 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 4th Triple jump 17.20 m
2014 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.25
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 1st Triple jump 18.21 m AR
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st Triple jump 17.86 m
2017 World Championships London, England 1st Triple jump 17.68 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st Triple jump 17.92 m
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 18th (q) Triple jump 16.48 m

USA National Track and field Championships

[edit]
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2016 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon 2nd Triple jump 17.39 m (57 ft 1⁄2 in)[33]
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th Long jump 8.01 m (26 ft 3+1⁄4 in)[34]
2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hornet Stadium (Sacramento) Sacramento, California 2nd Triple jump 17.37 m (56 ft 11+3⁄4 in)[35]
2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa 6th Long jump 8.07 m (26 ft 5+1⁄2 in)[36]
2012 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon 1st Triple jump 17.63 m (57 ft 10 in)[37]
2012 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon 4th Long jump 8.12 m (26 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[33]
2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon 1st Triple jump 17.49 m (57 ft 4+1⁄2 in)[38]
2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon 4th Long jump 8.07 m (26 ft 5+1⁄2 in)[38]
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa 2nd Triple jump 16.76 m (54 ft 11+3⁄4 in)[39]
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa 12th Long jump 7.63 m (25 ft 1⁄4 in)[40]
2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 3rd Triple jump 16.05 m (52 ft 7+3⁄4 in)[41]
2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2nd Long jump 7.60 m (24 ft 11 in)[41]
2007 USA Youth Outdoor Track and Field Trials The Sports Complex at Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois 2nd Triple jump 15.49 m (50 ft 9+3⁄4 in)[42]

Personal bests

[edit]
Event Best (m) Venue Date
Triple jump (outdoor) 18.21 AR Beijing, China August 27, 2015
Triple jump (indoor) 17.63 Istanbul, Turkey March 11, 2012
Long jump (outdoor) 8.19 Knoxville, Tennessee May 15, 2010
Long jump (indoor) 8.02 Fayetteville, Arkansas February 13, 2009
  • All information taken from IAAF profile.

Personal life

[edit]

Taylor is a Christian.[43] In April 2019, Taylor became engaged to Austrian hurdler Beate Schrott and in 2021 they married in Austria, celebrating the wedding at Schloss Gurhof and a few weeks later in Jacksonville.[44][45]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Christian Taylor". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Gibson, Charlie (May 1, 2013). "Christian Taylor 'mentally stronger' for UK move". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  3. ^ "Two-time Olympic triple jump champion Taylor retires". World Athletics.
  4. ^ USA's Christian Taylor repeats triple jump gold medal. USA Today. Retrieved on August 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Track & Field Results Reporting System. TFRRS. Retrieved on May 28, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Taylor, Christian. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "Taylor on DL Event Cuts: "I Refuse to Sit Back Any Longer"". November 7, 2019.
  8. ^ King, Mike (September 5, 2011). Triple joy. Nation News. Retrieved on June 5, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c Christian Taylor Archived May 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Florida Gators. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  10. ^ Mulkeen, Jon (July 14, 2007). Czech land first gold of championships – Day Four Evening Report. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  11. ^ 2010 World Comprehensive List – Men Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Track & Field News (2010). Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  12. ^ NACAC Under 23 Championships – 7/9/2010 to 7/11/2010 Archived December 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. HalfMileTiming. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  13. ^ Morse, Parker (June 26, 2010). Patterson, Felix steal the show: USATF Nationals, Day 1 & 2. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  14. ^ Ramsak, Bob (February 28, 2011). Teen phenom James smashes through 45-second barrier in Fayetteville. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  15. ^ Dunaway, James (March 13, 2011). Drouin tops 2.33m, Hasay takes double in College Station – NCAA Indoors, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  16. ^ Dunaway, James (June 11, 2011). With 100m / Long Jump double win, Makusha joins legendary company – NCAA championships – UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  17. ^ Lee, Kirby (June 14, 2011). Carter prevails in epic women’s Shot Put battle in Eugene – USA champs, Day 1. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  18. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (August 6, 2011). Richards-Ross sizzles 49.66 in London – Day Two REPORT – Samsung Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on August 7, 2011.
  19. ^ "2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's triple jump (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  20. ^ "Phillips Idowu enjoys silver lining despite new kid on the block". The Guardian. London. September 4, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  21. ^ EVENT REPORT – Men's Triple Jump – Final. IAAF (March 11, 2012). Retrieved on June 2, 2012.
  22. ^ Gains, Paul (June 2, 2012). Dibaba 30:24.39 and Kiprop 27:01.98 on stunning but wet first night in Eugene – Samsung Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on June 3, 2012.
  23. ^ Track & Field News monthly magazine, April 2014 (Vol. 67, no. 4; pp. 14–16), feature "T&FN Interview: Christian Taylor".
  24. ^ "IAAF: Pichardo vs Taylor clash in Doha is greatest triple jump competition ever – IAAF Diamond League- News - iaaf.org". iaaf.org.
  25. ^ http://www.legacy.usatf.org/News/Taylor-shatters-AR-for-TJ-gold,-Felix-takes-400,-G.aspx Retrieved on May 28, 2015. (#2 All time – 2015 World Leader, Area Record, National Record) – Christian Taylor 18.21 meters = 59' 8.9"
  26. ^ "Men's triple jump". www.alltime-athletics.com.
  27. ^ Christian Taylor 17.80 MR Triple Jump | Zurich Diamond League. Retrieved on September 10, 2016.
  28. ^ Puglise, Nicole (August 16, 2016). "Who is Christian Taylor, USA's Olympic triple jump gold medal winner?". The Guardian. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  29. ^ "Men's triple jump".
  30. ^ "Triple jumper Taylor set to miss Tokyo". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  31. ^ "Reider, US coach under investigation, ejected from World Athletics Championships". www.insidethegames.biz. July 17, 2022.
  32. ^ Competed only in the heat.
  33. ^ a b "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field – 6/30/2016 to 7/10/2016 Eugene, Oregon Results". Usatf.org. July 10, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  34. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  35. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  36. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  37. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  38. ^ a b "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  39. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  40. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  41. ^ a b "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  42. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  43. ^ "Outside the sandbox". Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  44. ^ Dirlam, Zach (April 25, 2019). "Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Christian Taylor Once Again a Student-Athlete". Florida Gators. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  45. ^ AN OLYMPIC WEDDING AT SCHLOSS GURHOF IN AUSTRIA, storyofyourday, 2021-10-11.
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