British · London · Born 10 May 1966Greatest triple jumper ever, 2000 Olympic champion, WR holder.
Jonathan David Edwards was born on 10 May 1966 in Westminster, London, England, and attended West Buckland School in Devon, where his talent for the triple jump was first identified, before studying at Durham University. Edwards developed into the greatest triple jumper in history, and delivered one of the most extraordinary competitions ever seen at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, breaking the world record twice in the same competition to set the current mark that has stood since. Edwards won Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games after finishing runner-up at both the 1996 and earlier Olympics, completing a career that also included World, European, and Commonwealth titles, making him one of the most decorated field event athletes Britain has produced. Edwards retired in 2003 and built an extensive career as a BBC and Eurosport athletics commentator, and became president of the Wenlock Olympian Society in 2011, remaining one of only a small handful of British athletes to have held a world record in a championship event.
Triple Jumper
He set two world records in the same competition in 1995 — jumping 18.16m and then 18.29m consecutively — a feat never remotely replicated in the event.
Did You Know?How They Played
Explosive speed and technical precision in triple jump
Lasting Impact
Greatest triple jumper in history, revolutionized the event
Career Honours
- 2000 Olympic gold triple jump
- 1995,2001 World champ
- WR 18.29m
- European champ
British Athletes