Christian Taylor (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Christian Taylor is an American track and field
athlete who competes in the triple jump
and has a personal record of 17.96 meters. He also competes in the long jump
(with a best of 8.19 m) and in the sprints to a high level: his best for the 400 meter dash is 45.34 seconds and he has run 20.76 seconds for the 200 meter dash.
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 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 metres
, later going on to score a hat-trick of titles in those events at the 2008 National Scholastic Indoor Championships. 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
. The following year he was a finalist in both jumps at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
.
Taylor went on to attend the University of Florida
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 freshman 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. 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. Away from collegiate competition, he also won triple and long jump titles at the 2010 NACAC Under-23 Championsihps, and was the silver medallist behind Kenta Bell
at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
.
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
. He was also runner-up in the relay and eighth in the long jump. At the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships their positions were reversed, as Taylor finished second and Claye succeeded his team-mate as the NCAA indoor champion. 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.
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. 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.
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
. 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. 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.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who competes in the triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
and has a personal record of 17.96 meters. He also competes in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
(with a best of 8.19 m) and in the sprints to a high level: his best for the 400 meter dash is 45.34 seconds and he has run 20.76 seconds for the 200 meter dash.
He was the triple jump champion and long jump bronze medalist at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *...
. He established himself as a top level triple jumper at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where he won back-to-back NCAA Indoor titles and then consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
titles in 2010 and 2011. Taylor won his first USA Outdoor national title
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
in 2011. He followed his national title with a win in the triple jump at the 2011 World Championships
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
, upsetting the field with the tenth best jump in history.
Career
Born in Fayetteville, GeorgiaFayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,945. The city is the county seat of Fayette County. Fayetteville is located approximately 22 miles from the city of Atlanta....
, he attended Sandy Creek High School
Sandy Creek High School
Sandy Creek High School or SCHS is located in Tyrone, Georgia, United States.Sandy Creek serves Tyrone, northern Fayetteville, and small northern portions of Fairburn and Peachtree City...
and played for their football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and track and field teams. He set state high school records in the long jump, triple jump and the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
, later going on to score a hat-trick of titles in those events at the 2008 National Scholastic Indoor Championships. He made his first international appearances while he was a high school student: he won the triple jump gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *...
and also claimed the long jump bronze
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. The following year he was a finalist in both jumps at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
.
Taylor went on to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 2009 and in his first year he won three titles at the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
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 freshman 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. 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. Away from collegiate competition, he also won triple and long jump titles at the 2010 NACAC Under-23 Championsihps, and was the silver medallist behind Kenta Bell
Kenta Bell
Kenta Bell is an American track and field athlete who competes mainly in the triple jump. He won this event at the 2001 Universiade and the 2003 national championship...
at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23-27, 2010. In order to boost the visibility of this event, USATF sponsored a member appreciation tent at the event and promoted the entire week as "Membership appreciation...
.
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
Will Claye
Will Claye is an American track and field athlete who competes in the triple jump and has a personal record of 17.50 meters. He won bronze medal in 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea....
. He was also runner-up in the relay and eighth in the long jump. At the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships their positions were reversed, as Taylor finished second and Claye succeeded his team-mate as the NCAA indoor champion. 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.
The two Florida Gators both took their talents to the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Organised by USA Track and Field, the four-day competition took place from June 23–26 and served as the national championships in track and field for the United States...
, where they repeated their top-two finish as Taylor claimed his first national title with a wind-assisted 17.49 m. Taylor proved himself to be a contender for a world medal as he defeated all comers at the London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
, including the reigning world champion Phillips Idowu
Phillips Idowu
Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu MBE is a Nigerian-English triple jumper...
, with a personal best jump of 17.68 m.
At the 2011 World Championships
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
in Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Taylor won the triple jump title with a distance of 17.96 m, a personal best for him and beating defending champion Phillips Idowu
Phillips Idowu
Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu MBE is a Nigerian-English triple jumper...
. 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. 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.
Major competition record
| Representing the | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | World Youth Championships 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *... |
Ostrava Ostrava Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
3rd | Long jump | 7.29 m | |
| 1st | Triple jump | 15.98 m | ||||
| 2008 | World Junior Championships 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008.... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
7th | Long jump | 7.41 m | |
| 8th | Triple jump | 15.61 m | ||||
| 2011 | World Championships 2011 World Championships in Athletics The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
1st | Triple jump 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's triple jump The Men's triple jump event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 2 and 4.Seven made the automatic qualifying mark... |
17.96 m | |
Personal bests
| Event | Best (m) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple jump Triple jump The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a... (outdoor) |
17.96 | Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea |
September 4, 2011 |
| Triple jump (indoor) | 17.36 | Fayetteville Fayetteville Fayetteville is the name of a number of places in the United States of America. Many are named for General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a French officer who fought under General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.... , Arkansas |
February 2, 2011 |
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... (outdoor) |
8.19 | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 15, 2010 |
| Long jump (indoor) | 8.02 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | February 13, 2009 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
External links
- USATF profile for Christian Taylor
- University of Florida bio: Christian Taylor