More than Hop, Skip and Jump: The 10 Greatest Triple Jumpers of All-Time
The 10 Greatest Triple Jump Athletes in History!
The triple jump is a truly captivating track and field event demanding speed, strength and precision.
Let's look at 10 of the most famous triple jumpers of all-time!
Great triple jumper Yulimar Rojas Rodríguez
Since the inception of this event, numerous exceptional athletes have left their mark by setting records, wowing spectators and inspiring future generations.
But who are the greatest triple jumpers to leap into the record books? The Sporting Blog rounds up 10 of them!
1. Jonathan Edwards
He set the current world record for triple jump in 1995
His longest jump of 18.43 metres didn't count as a record because it was "wind-assisted”
Edwards' unbroken world record for the triple jump is 18.29 metres
At the top of our list is Jonathan Edwards, the current world record holder!
Jonathan Edwards was born in Westminster, London, in 1966. His triple jump career started early when someone spotted his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport. He leapt at the opportunity, and the rest is history.
Edwards' achievements include winning Olympic gold and two World Championships, as well as Commonwealth and European Indoor Championships.
2. Yulimar Rojas Rodríguez
Rodríguez holds the world record for the women's triple jump
Her record jump measured 15.74 metres in Japan in 2021
She started her athletics career as a high jumper but moved to the triple jump in 2014
Yulimar Rojas Rodríguez is a Venezuelan athlete who was born in 1995. Originally starting her career as a high jumper, she is now the current triple jump Olympic champion, earning an Olympic silver in 2016.
She’s won the World Championships four times, the World Indoor Championships three times and the Diamond League for three consecutive years, as well as other prominent championships throughout her career.
With her consistently outstanding performances, Rodríguez is bound to impress spectators in the upcoming Olympics.
3. Willie Banks
He pioneered the "Banks Technique” - a unique triple jumping style
He set a world record of 17.97 metres in Indianapolis in 1985
Banks qualified for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow but didn't compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee's boycott
Willie Banks was born in California in 1956, and he grew up to be a flamboyant athlete who won the affection of spectators and fellow athletes. He was even seen laughing during some of his long leaps.
Banks was honoured with an induction into the U.S.A. National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999.
Iconic triple jumper Willie Banks
In his 50s, he led the World Masters championships with a 14.00-metre jump, and in 2007, he was the World Masters Athletics Champion for his age group.
In 2012, at age 56, Willie Banks became the oldest American athlete to clear six feet in the high jump. He employed the three-step approach with a classic roll technique to achieve this impressive feat.
4. Inessa Kravets
She set the women's triple jump world record at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
Her record-breaking jump was 15.50 metres in 1996
Kravets' record remained unbeaten for 25 years
Inessa Kravets was born in Dnipro, Ukraine, in 1966. She broke her first world record in the triple jump in 1991 with a leap of 14.95 metres.
From 1992, she won several significant medals, including Olympic gold, World Championships and World Indoor Championships.
In 1993, Kravets won gold at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. However, she was banned from the World Championships in Athletics event later that year due to using stimulants.
She made an incredible comeback by breaking the world record in 1996 and said that studying Jonathan Edwards helped her to perfect her technique.
5. Kenny Harrison
He was a dominant force in the triple jump during the 1990s
He won Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games with a jump of 18.09 metres
Harrison's explosive speed and powerful take-off made him a formidable competitor
Kenny Harrison is another U.S. triple jumper considered one of the greatest in his field. He was born in Wisconsin in 1965, played football and basketball, and competed in track and field events at school.
Harrison won the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991, five years before he won Olympic gold. He also won two gold medals at the Goodwill Games in 1990 and 1994.
6. Françoise Mbango Etone
Etone is an iconic figure in the world of triple jump
She was the first African woman to achieve back-to-back Olympic gold medals in a field event
She set the Olympic record for the triple jump in 2008 with a leap of 15.39 metres
Françoise Mbango Etone was born in Cameroon in 1976. She represented Cameroon at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, where she won gold and set the Olympic record, the third-longest jump in history under any conditions.
Etone is one of 25 women in the world to be able to jump beyond the 15m mark. Since 2010, Etone has represented France in international events.
7. Khristo Markov
He was a top triple jumper in the 1980s and early 1990s
Markov earned an Olympic gold medal in 1988 in Seoul with a jump of 17.61 metres
His technical prowess and consistency set him apart as an all-time great in the triple jump
Khristo Markov was born in Bulgaria in 1965. He is perhaps best remembered for his Olympic victory at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. However, Markov won numerous other awards.
He was the World Champion in 1987, the World and European Indoor Champion in 1985 and the European Champion in 1986. Markov also coached compatriot Tereza Marinova, who won Olympic gold in 2000.
8. Caterine Ibargüen
She is a legendary triple jump athlete known for her technical prowess and competitive spirit
She won Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics
Ibargüen's personal best for the triple jump is 15.31 metres
Caterine Ibargüen retired in 2021 at the age of 37. However, this Colombian athlete had an amazing run. She competed in the long jump, high jump and triple jump, dominating in the latter later in her career.
Ibargüen's long list of triple jump victories includes one Olympic gold, two World Championships and two Pan American Games titles.
9. Adhemar da Silva
Da Silva broke five world records for the triple jump during his career
He won two Olympic gold medals: one in 1952 and one in 1956
His triple jump style was comparable to the grace and finesse of a samba dancer
Adhemar da Silva was born in São Paulo, Brazil. His first-ever triple jump in 1947 at age 19 was 13.05 metres. By 1948, his new personal best was 15.00 metres.
Until 1980, he was the only Brazilian to achieve Olympic gold. Da Silva was also the first Brazilian to set a world record for any sporting event.
His longest record-breaking jump was 16.56 metres at the Pan American Games in 1955.
Da Silva was an exceptional person off the field and track, too. He could speak eight languages, graduated as a sculptor, acted in a movie and worked as a civil servant during his athletics career.
He obtained a physical education degree and a law degree in 1968, then a public relations degree in 1990.
10. Tatyana Lebedeva
She’s won nine gold medals while representing Russia in the triple jump
She's a versatile athlete who excelled in the long and triple jumps
Lebedeva's personal best for an outdoor triple jump is 15.34 metres
Tatyana Lebedeva was born in Russia in 1976 and represented her country on the athletics field from 1994 to 2012.
In 2000, she started obtaining podium positions, including a silver at the 2000 Olympics and winning the European Cup and Indoor Championships.
She won the World Championships and Goodwill Games in 2001, and an Olympic gold in 2004.
The 10 Greatest Triple Jumpers of All-Time
There’s no denying that these 10 remarkable athletes have left an indelible mark on the triple jump world, with each one achieving big on a domestic and international scale in this solo sport.
Who would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments!
