Jarrion Lawson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jarrion Lawson

Lawson during 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Nationality	United States
Born	(1994-05-06) May 6, 1994 (age 31) Texarkana, Texas
Height	6 ft 2 in
Weight	172 lb
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 meters 200 meters Long jump
College team	Arkansas Razorbacks
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	60 m: 6.60i (2016) 100 m: 10.03 (2017) 200 m: 20.17 (2016) Long jump: 8.58 (2016) Triple jump: 15.80 (2012)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States World Championships Silver 2017 London Long jump World Junior Championships Bronze 2012 Barcelona Long jump

Jarrion Lawson (born May 6, 1994) is an American athlete. He is known for both sprinting and long jumping. He won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

While competing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he won many big titles. Between 2014 and 2016, he won five individual NCAA championships. He also won one relay title. At the 2016 NCAA outdoor championships, he won three events. These were the 100 meters, 200 meters, and long jump. Only Jesse Owens had done this before him.

Early Life and High School Career

Jarrion Lawson started track and field when he was young. At first, he was not a top athlete. He became much better during his first two years at Liberty-Eylau High School. This school is in Texarkana, Texas.

Besides track, he also played football and basketball. In June 2012, after high school, he won two events. These were the long jump and the triple jump at the national junior championships. He was chosen to represent the United States. He competed in both events at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona. Lawson won a bronze medal in the long jump there. He jumped 7.64 meters (25 feet, 1/4 inch). In the triple jump, he did not make it past the first round.

College Athletics at Arkansas

After high school, Lawson went to the University of Arkansas. He competed for the Arkansas Razorbacks team. As a freshman, he placed fourth in the long jump. He jumped 7.92 meters (26 feet). This was at the 2013 NCAA indoor championships. He also helped the Razorbacks win the indoor team title.

Outdoors, he won the long jump at the West Regional event. However, he finished 14th at the NCAA meet. He stopped triple jumping because of knee problems. Instead, he started trying sprint races. At the NCAA championships, he ran the second part of the Razorbacks' 4 × 100 m relay team. They finished fifth.

First NCAA Titles

Lawson won his first individual NCAA title as a sophomore. This was at the 2014 indoor meet. He jumped a personal best of 8.39 meters (27 feet, 6 1/4 inches). This jump was in Albuquerque, which is at a high altitude. He won by a lot.

Outdoors, he did not qualify for the NCAA meet as an individual. But he placed second at the national championships. This was two weeks later, behind Jeff Henderson. In 2015, Lawson started competing in two individual events again. He began running the 100 meters. He broke the Arkansas school record in the NCAA championship semi-finals. He ran 10.04 seconds. He then placed third in the final with a fast time of 9.90 seconds. The Razorbacks also won the 4 × 100 m relay. In the long jump, he jumped 8.27 meters (27 feet, 1 3/4 inches) at the NCAA indoor championships. He jumped 8.34 meters (27 feet, 4 1/4 inches) at the outdoor championships. But he lost to Florida's Marquis Dendy both times.

Senior Year Success

Lawson won the NCAA indoor long jump title again as a senior in 2016. He won with a last-round jump of 7.95 meters (26 feet, 1 inch). He also placed fifth in the 60 meters with his best time of 6.60 seconds. Outdoors, Lawson tried the 200 meters for the first time. At the SEC outdoor championships, he won the long jump. He placed fourth in the 100 meters and sixth in the 200 meters.

His 200-meter times kept getting better. He placed second in his heat with a personal best of 20.17 seconds. This was at the West Regionals. He qualified for the NCAA championships in all three events.

At the 2016 NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Lawson won three events. He won the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and the long jump. This amazing achievement had only been done by Jesse Owens eighty years earlier. Lawson's total score of 31.5 points was also the best since Owens. This score included points from Arkansas' third place in the 4 × 100 m relay. In the long jump, Lawson took the lead in the fourth round. He secured first place with his fifth-round jump of 8.15 meters (26 feet, 9 inches). He just barely beat Christian Coleman in both sprint races. He ran the 100 meters in 10.22 seconds and the 200 meters in 20.19 seconds.

Professional Career

Lawson became a professional athlete after the 2016 college season. He signed a sponsorship deal with ASICS. At the 2016 United States Olympic Trials, he set a new personal best in the long jump. He jumped 8.58 meters (28 feet, 1 3/4 inches). He placed second, very close behind Jeff Henderson. This qualified him for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He also made it to the final in the 100 meters. But he placed seventh in 10.07 seconds and did not make the Olympic team for that event.

In 2018, Lawson faced a challenge. He tested positive for a banned substance. He was banned from competing for four years. He appealed this ban, and his case went to the CAS. The ban was overturned. It was found that the positive test was due to tainted food. Because of this, he was able to return to competition in 2020.

Competition Results

See also

In Spanish: Jarrion Lawson para niños