Jonathan Edwards (athlete)

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Medal record
Men's athletics
Olympic Games
Silver	1996 Atlanta	Triple jump
Gold	2000 Sydney	Triple jump
Goodwill Games
Gold	1998 New York	Triple jump
Gold	2001 Brisbane	Triple jump
Commonwealth Games
Silver	1990 Auckland	Triple jump
Silver	1994 Victoria	Triple jump
Gold	2002 Manchester	Triple jump
World Championships
Bronze	1993 Stuttgart	Triple jump
Gold	1995 Gothenburg	Triple jump
Silver	1997 Athens	Triple jump
Bronze	1999 Seville	Triple jump
Gold	2001 Edmonton	Triple jump
World Cup
Bronze	1989 Barcelona	Triple jump
Gold	1992 Havana	Triple jump
Gold	2002 Madrid	Triple jump
World Indoor Championships
Silver	2001 Lisbon	Triple jump
European Championships
Gold	1998 Budapest	Triple jump
Bronze	2002 Munich	Triple jump
European Cup
Gold	1995 Villeneuve d'Ascq	Triple jump
Gold	1996 Madrid	Triple jump
Gold	1997 Munich	Triple jump
Gold	1998 Saint Petersburg	Triple jump
Silver	1999 Paris	Triple jump
Gold	2001 Bremen	Triple jump
Gold	2002 Annecy	Triple jump
European Championships
Gold	1998 Valencia	Triple jump

Jonathan David Edwards CBE (born May 10, 1966 in London, England) is a former British triple jumper and widely regarded as the finest triple jumper of all time. He is an Olympic champion and has held the world record in the event since 1995.

Edwards attended West Buckland School where his potential for the triple jump was spotted at an early age. He was a strong all-rounder and on leaving received the school's top award for sporting and academic excellence, the Fortescue Medal. He then read Physics at Van Mildert College, Durham University. He lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and occasionally preaches at Jesmond Parish Church.

He initially refused to compete on Sundays due to his devout Christian beliefs, a decision which cost him a chance to compete in the 1991 World Championships. However in 1993, after much deliberation and discussion with his father (a vicar), he changed his mind, deciding that God gave him his talent in order for him to compete. The decision proved timely, since the qualifying round at that year's World Championships took place on a Sunday. He went on to win the bronze medal.

In his breakthrough year of 1995, he produced an astonishing jump of 18.43 m at the European Cup. The leap was wind assisted and did not count for record purposes but it was a sign of things to come as he capped an unbeaten year with an historic gold medal performance at the World Championships. On his first jump, he became the first man to legally pass the 18-metre barrier (18.16 m). That record lasted for about 20 minutes. His second jump of 18.29 m made him the first to jump 60 feet. Later the same year Edwards became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

During 1996 Edwards went into the Olympic games as favourite and world record holder, but it was American Kenny Harrison who took the gold with a jump of 18.09 m. Edwards walked away with the silver after a leap of 17.88 m (the longest ever jump not to win gold), but some have speculated that one of the jumps he fouled on could have been the longest ever recorded, or at least won him the gold. Edwards won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and was awarded the CBE shortly afterwards. He also won golds at the 2001 World Championships and 2002 Commonwealth Games. At one point in 2002, Edwards held all the gold medals for the "four majors" (Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games & European Championships). He retired after the 2003 World Championships as Great Britain's most medalled athlete.

Following his retirement, Edwards has pursued a media career. He is currently a television presenter mainly working for the BBC as a sports commentator and on programmes such as Songs of Praise. He is a member of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, representing athletes in the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

An honorary doctorate was conferred upon him at a ceremony at the University of Exeter on 21 January, 2006.

[edit] External links

IAAF profile for Jonathan Edwards
Biography at BBC Songs of Praise

Olympic champions in men's triple jump

Post-war British Olympic champions in men's athletics
1956: Chris Brasher (3000 m steeplechase) \| 1960: Don Thompson (50 km walk) \| 1964: Ken Matthews (20 km walk) \| 1964: Lynn Davies (long jump) \| 1968: David Hemery (400 m hurdles) 1980: Allan Wells (100 m) \| 1980: Steve Ovett (800 m) \| 1980 & 1984: Sebastian Coe (1500 m) \| 1980 & 1984: Daley Thompson (decathlon) \| 1992: Linford Christie (100 m) \| 2000: Jonathan Edwards (triple jump) \| 2004: Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish & Mark Lewis-Francis (4 x 100 m relay)

Post-war British Olympic champions in men's athletics

1956: Chris Brasher (3000 m steeplechase) | 1960: Don Thompson (50 km walk) | 1964: Ken Matthews (20 km walk) | 1964: Lynn Davies (long jump) | 1968: David Hemery (400 m hurdles) 1980: Allan Wells (100 m) | 1980: Steve Ovett (800 m) | 1980 & 1984: Sebastian Coe (1500 m) | 1980 & 1984: Daley Thompson (decathlon) | 1992: Linford Christie (100 m) | 2000: Jonathan Edwards (triple jump) | 2004: Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish & Mark Lewis-Francis (4 x 100 m relay)