Mike Powell (long jumper) facts for kids
Powell announces at a press conference that he will attempt to break the World Masters record
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| Full name | Michael Anthony Powell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 10, 1963 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 170 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Long jump | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Randy Huntington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on August 6, 2012. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Anthony Powell (born November 10, 1963) is a famous American track and field athlete. He holds the long jump world record. Mike Powell also won two world championships and two Olympic silver medals in long jump. He set his amazing world record of 8.95 meters on August 30, 1991.
Contents
Mike Powell's Life and Career
Early Life and Education
Mike Powell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in West Covina, California. He went to Edgewood High School. In high school, he was a great high jumper. He jumped 7 feet (2.13 meters) at a state competition in 1981.
After high school, he studied at the University of California, Irvine. Later, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Becoming a Long Jump Champion
Mike Powell became famous for his long jump skills. In 1988, he won a silver medal in the long jump at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Breaking the World Record
On August 30, 1991, Mike Powell made history. At the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo, Japan, he broke a very old record. He jumped 8.95 meters (29 feet, 4.4 inches). This jump broke Bob Beamon's record, which had stood for almost 23 years. Mike Powell's record is still the longest-standing long jump world record ever.
This amazing achievement earned him two special awards in 1991. He received the James E. Sullivan Award and the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award.
More Medals and Achievements
In 1992, Mike Powell won another long jump silver medal. This was at the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He also made a very long jump of 8.99 meters in 1992. This jump was helped by strong wind, so it wasn't a new world record.
He continued to win at the World Championships. He won gold in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1993. Then, he earned a bronze medal in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1995.
Mike Powell retired from professional long jumping after the 1996 Olympics. He tried to come back in 2001 to compete in the 2004 Olympics. However, he did not make the American team.
Life After Competing
After retiring, Mike Powell worked as an analyst. He helped cover Olympic Track and field events for Yahoo! Sports.
In 2009, he announced he wanted to compete again. He aimed to break the World Masters record for athletes over 45 years old. In 2015, he planned to jump at a competition in Wellington, New Zealand. Sadly, he got hurt during warm-ups and could not compete.
Mike Powell's daughter, Micha Powell, is also an athlete. In 2016, she was chosen as an alternate for Canada's Olympic team. Her mother, Rosey Edeh, also competed in the 1996 Olympics.
Since 2022, Mike Powell has been a long jump coach. He coaches at Azusa Pacific University in California.
See also
In Spanish: Mike Powell para niños
