Jacko Gill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jacko Gill

Gill at the 2017 World Championships
Personal information
Full name	Jackson Gill
Born	(1994-12-20) 20 December 1994 (age 30) Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) (2011)
Weight	118 kg (260 lb) (2012)
Sport
Country	New Zealand
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Shot put
Achievements and titles
National finals	Shot put champion (2023)
Personal best(s)	5 kg: 24.45 m (2011, WYB) 6 kg: 23.00 m (2013, WJR) 7.26 kg: 22.12 m (2023)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  New Zealand Commonwealth Games Silver 2022 Birmingham Shot put Oceania Area Championships Gold 2014 Rarotonga Shot put Gold 2019 Townsville Shot put World Junior Championships Gold 2012 Barcelona Shot put Gold 2010 Moncton Shot put Summer Youth Olympics Silver 2010 Singapore Shot put World Youth Championships Gold 2011 Lille Shot put Oceania Youth Championships Gold 2010 Sydney Shot put Gold 2010 Sydney Discus throw

Jackson Gill, born on December 20, 1994, is a famous New Zealand athlete. He is best known for his amazing skills in the shot put event. In shot put, athletes throw a heavy metal ball as far as they can. Jacko throws with his right hand using a special "spin technique."

He made history in 2010 when he won a gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He was only 15 years old, making him the youngest male gold medalist ever at these championships. This was even younger than when Usain Bolt won his first junior title! Jacko defended his title in 2012, winning gold again at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics.

Jacko Gill's Athletic Journey

Early Achievements

Jacko Gill started showing his talent very early. In 2009, when he was just 14, he set world bests for his age group in shot put. He threw the 5 kg shot 20.42 meters and the 6 kg shot 17.41 meters.

In 2010, at the World Junior Championships, Jacko won gold in the shot put. He threw the 6 kg shot 20.76 meters. This was a huge win because he beat athletes who were 18 and 19 years old.

Breaking Records

Before his big win at the World Junior Championships, Jacko threw the 5 kg shot 22.53 meters in Sweden. This was better than any known performance for 15 and 16-year-olds at the time. He improved this to 22.60 meters at the first Youth Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.

In December 2010, Jacko set a new world best for youth (under-18) athletes. He threw the 5 kg shot an incredible 23.86 meters!

In 2011, at just 16 years old, Jacko threw the senior shot (which weighs 7.26 kg) 20.01 meters. This throw broke a 44-year-old New Zealand national record! Later that year, he qualified for the 2012 Olympics by throwing 20.38 meters. He also threw the 6 kg shot 22.31 meters, becoming the second-furthest junior thrower ever with that weight.

At the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics in France, Jacko won another gold medal. He set a new World Youth Best Performance by throwing 24.35 meters with the 5 kg shot. He even improved this to 24.45 meters later that year.

In 2013, Jacko broke the Oceania Junior Record multiple times. He eventually threw 23.00 meters with the 6 kg shot, setting a new World Junior Record.

Senior Competitions

As Jacko got older, he continued to compete at higher levels. In 2014, he won the shot put title at the 2014 Oceania Athletics Championships with a personal best of 20.70 meters. He has since competed in many major events, including the Commonwealth Games, World Championships in Athletics, and the Olympic Games.

Jacko Gill's Life Outside Sports

Family and Training

Jacko comes from a family of athletes. His father, Walter, was a discus thrower and a national shot put champion. His mother, Nerida, was also a discus thrower.

Jacko attended Takapuna Grammar School until 2010. He has always been very dedicated to shot put. From a young age, he wrote his own training plans. He prefers to lift weights in his garage at home for about four hours a day. He focuses mainly on power-lifting and throws the shot only a couple of times a week. Jacko has said that his athletic hero is Ricky Bruch, a famous discus thrower from Sweden.

Coaches

Jacko was coached by Didier Poppé during his successful World Youth and World Junior Championships years. Later, he trained with former New Zealand shot put champion Courtney Ireland and then Kirsten Hellier.

Major Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  New Zealand
2010	Oceania Youth Championships	Sydney, Australia	1st	Shot put (5 kg)	20.62 m
			1st	Discus throw (1.5 kg)	56.64 m
	World Junior Championships	Moncton, Canada	1st	Shot put (6 kg)	20.76 m
	Youth Olympic Games	Singapore	2nd	Shot put (5 kg)	22.60 m
2011	World Youth Championships	Lille, France	1st	Shot put (5 kg)	24.35 m
2012	World Junior Championships	Barcelona, Spain	1st	Shot put (6 kg)	22.20 m
2014	Oceania Championships	Avarua, Cook Islands	1st	Shot put	20.70 m
	Commonwealth Games	Glasgow, United Kingdom	11th	Shot put	18.05 m
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	8th	Shot put	20.11 m
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, United States	9th	Shot put	19.93 m
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	9th	Shot put	20.50 m
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	9th	Shot put	20.82 m
2019	Oceania Championships	Townsville, Australia	1st	Shot put	20.75 m
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	7th	Shot put	21.45 m
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	9th	Shot put	20.71 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	7th	Shot put	21.40 m
	Commonwealth Games	Birmingham, United Kingdom	2nd	Shot put	21.90 m
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	6th	Shot put	21.76 m
2024	World Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	5th	Shot put	21.69 m
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	7th	Shot put	21.15 m

See also

In Spanish: Jacko Gill para niños