Christian Taylor is taking his last triple jumps as an active American track and field athlete this year, with six combined individual Olympic and world titles. At the beginning of the current outdoor season, the athlete declared it would be his final one.
Taylor won four world titles and two gold medals in the Olympics in the triple jump categories from 2011 to 2019. For his best jump, Taylor was just a few inches short of the world record set by British athlete Jonathan Edwards in 1995, in an event where elite athletes leap nearly sixty feet.
Taylor’s original plan to attend his third and last Olympics in Tokyo changed due to his unexpected injury. He made four jumps at a competition in Ostrava, Czechia, and tore his right Achilles on two (one vertical tear and one horizontal tear).
Taylor – Until Paris
After undergoing surgery, it took him two months to regain his regular movements, and he resolved to continue competing until the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“With all the success and joy this sport has given me and all the experiences I’ve had, it just shouldn’t end that way, right?” the athlete admitted.
Taylor definitely has to place in the top three in the U.S. to qualify for Paris at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, happening on June 21–30. Furthermore, before the trials conclude, competitors may need to clear the Olympic qualifying mark of 17.22 meters. Taylor might not need to jump as far as the given qualifying mark if his world rating is high enough.
Taylor declared: “Other instances, the focus was breaking world records or crushing my competitors… This time, it’s just get me to Paris. If I can get into that final, anything is possible.”
Cover Photo: IG
Source: NBC Sports
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