Jonathan Edwards (triple jumper) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jonathan Edwards
CBE

Edwards at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	(1966-05-10) 10 May 1966 (age 59) Westminster, London, England
Residence	Gosforth, Tyne & Wear, England
Education	West Buckland School
Alma mater	Van Mildert College, Durham
Height	182 cm
Weight	71 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Club	Gateshead Harriers
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 0 World Championships 2 1 2 World Indoor Championships 0 1 0 European Championships 1 0 1 European Indoor Championships 1 0 0 Commonwealth Games 1 2 0 Total 6 5 3 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Triple jump Silver 1996 Atlanta Triple jump World Championships Gold 1995 Gothenburg Triple jump Gold 2001 Edmonton Triple jump Silver 1997 Athens Triple jump Bronze 1993 Stuttgart Triple jump Bronze 1999 Seville Triple jump World Indoor Championships Silver 2001 Lisbon Triple jump Goodwill Games Gold 1998 New York Triple jump  Gold 2001 Brisbane Triple jump  European Championships Gold 1998 Budapest Triple jump Bronze 2002 Munich Triple jump European Indoor Championships Gold 1998 Valencia Triple jump Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Triple jump Silver 1990 Auckland Triple jump Silver 1994 Victoria Triple jump

Jonathan David Edwards, born on May 10, 1966, is a famous British former triple jumper. He is known as one of the greatest triple jumpers ever. A triple jump is an athletics event where athletes hop, step, and then jump as far as they can.

Edwards has won many big competitions. He is an Olympic champion, a two-time World Champion, and has also won titles at the European, European indoor, and Commonwealth Games. He has held the world record in the triple jump since 1995.

After he stopped competing, Jonathan Edwards became a sports commentator and presenter. He worked for the BBC and later for Eurosport. He was also part of the team that helped organize the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Early Life and School

Jonathan Edwards was born in Westminster, London. He went to West Buckland School in Devon. It was there that people first noticed how good he was at the triple jump.

He was good at many sports and also did well in his studies. When he left school, he received a special award for his achievements. Later, a sports hall at West Buckland School was named after him: The Jonathan Edwards Sports Centre. After school, Edwards studied Physics at Durham University.

Amazing Athletics Career

Jonathan Edwards had an incredible career in athletics. He became famous for his powerful triple jumps.

Breaking World Records

In 1995, Jonathan Edwards had an amazing year. At the World Championships, he broke the world record not once, but twice in the same competition! His first jump was 18.16 meters (about 59 feet 7 inches). This was the first time anyone had legally jumped over 18 meters.

Just 20 minutes later, he jumped even further, reaching 18.29 meters (about 60 feet). This made him the first person to jump over 60 feet. This record still stands today! Because of his incredible year, he was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Olympic and Major Wins

In 1996, Edwards was expected to win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics. However, he won the silver medal with a jump of 17.88 meters. This was the longest jump ever that didn't win a gold medal!

He finally won his Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. After this win, he received a special honor called a CBE. He also won gold medals at the 2001 World Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

At one point in 2002, Jonathan Edwards held all the gold medals from the four biggest athletics events: the Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships. He stopped competing after the 2003 World Championships.

Life After Competing

Jonathan Edwards at the University of Ulster Winter Graduation Ceremony, Tuesday, 19 December 2006

After retiring from athletics, Jonathan Edwards started a career in television. He became a sports commentator and presenter, mostly for the BBC. He often provided expert analysis for field events during athletics coverage. For the London 2012 Olympics, he was a main presenter for the BBC's athletics coverage.

Edwards also enjoys cycling and has presented the BBC's coverage of cycle racing since 2012. He also covered the 2014 Winter Olympics for the BBC. In 2011, he became the President of the Wenlock Olympian Society, which organizes the yearly Wenlock Olympian Games. He was also a member of the committee that organized the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2016, Edwards announced he would join Eurosport as their main presenter starting in 2017. He continued to work for the BBC and Channel 4 for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

International Competitions Overview

Jonathan Edwards competed for Great Britain and England in many international events. Here is a summary of his results:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing  Great Britain and  England
1987	Universiade	Zagreb, Yugoslavia	9th	Triple jump	15.96 m
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	23rd (q)	Triple jump	15.88 m
1989	World Cup	Barcelona, Spain	3rd	Triple jump	17.28 m
1990	Commonwealth Games	Auckland, New Zealand	2nd	Triple jump	16.93 m (w)
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	35th (q)	Triple jump	15.76 m
	World Cup	Havana, Cuba	1st	Triple jump	17.34 m
1993	World Indoor Championships	Toronto, Canada	6th	Triple jump	16.76 m
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	3rd	Triple jump	17.44 m
1994	Goodwill Games	Saint Petersburg, Russia	7th	Triple jump	16.57 m
	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	6th	Triple jump	16.85 m
	Commonwealth Games	Victoria, Canada	2nd	Triple jump	17.00 m
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	1st	Triple jump	18.29 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	2nd	Triple jump	17.88 m
1997	World Championships	Athens, Greece	2nd	Triple jump	17.69 m
1998	European Indoor Championships	Valencia, Spain	1st	Triple jump	17.43 m
	Goodwill Games	Uniondale, United States	1st	Triple jump	17.65 m
	European Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	Triple jump	17.99 m
1999	World Championships	Seville, Spain	3rd	Triple jump	17.48 m
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	1st	Triple jump	17.71 m
2001	World Indoor Championships	Lisbon, Portugal	2nd	Triple jump	17.26 m
	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	1st	Triple jump	17.92 m
	Goodwill Games	Brisbane, Australia	1st	Triple jump	17.26 m
2002	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, United Kingdom	1st	Triple jump	17.86 m
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	3rd	Triple jump	17.32 m
	World Cup	Madrid, Spain	1st	Triple jump	17.34 m
2003	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	4th	Triple jump	17.19 m
	World Championships	Paris, France	12th	Triple jump	16.31 m

Personal Best Records

These are Jonathan Edwards' best results in different events:

• Triple Jump – 18.29 m (World Record)
• 100 m sprint – 10.48 seconds
• Long jump – 7.41 m

Awards and Honors

Jonathan Edwards has received several special awards and honors. He was given honorary doctorates from three universities:

• Heriot-Watt University in 2002
• University of Exeter in 2006
• University of Ulster in 2006

Personal Life

Jonathan Edwards lives with his wife and their two sons in Newcastle upon Tyne.

His Beliefs

During his athletics career, Jonathan Edwards was a very religious Christian. At first, he would not compete on Sundays. This meant he missed out on the 1991 World Championships. However, in 1993, after thinking about it a lot and talking with his father, he decided to compete on Sundays. He felt that God had given him his talent to use in athletics.

Later in his life, his views on faith changed. He has since described himself as "probably agnostic, but practically an atheist." He has said that he feels happier with his current beliefs.

Images for kids

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  Jonathan Edwards at the 2000 Summer Olympics

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  Jonathan Edwards at the University of Ulster Winter Graduation Ceremony

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Edwards (atleta) para niños