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Athletics
Triple jump
Willie Banks Jr. in Seoul 1988.jpg
Former world record holder Willie Banks during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea
World records
Men United Kingdom Jonathan Edwards 18.29 m (59 ft 11.95374016 in) (1995)
Women Venezuela Yulimar Rojas 15.74 m (51 ft 7.56003937 in) i (2022)
Olympic records
Men United States Kenny Harrison 18.09 m (59 ft 4.07972441 in) (1996)
Women Venezuela Yulimar Rojas 15.67 m (51 ft 4.80413386 in) (2021)
World Championship records
Men United Kingdom Jonathan Edwards 18.29 m (59 ft 11.95374016 in) (1995)
Women Ukraine Inessa Kravets 15.50 m (50 ft 10.11122048 in) (1995)

The triple jump is an exciting track and field event. It is a "horizontal jump," much like the long jump. Athletes run down a track and perform three continuous movements: a hop, a step, and then a jump into a sand pit. This event has been part of the modern Olympics since they began in 1896.

The current male world record holder is Jonathan Edwards from the United Kingdom. He jumped an amazing 18.29 m (59 ft 11.95374016 in) meters. For women, the world record belongs to Yulimar Rojas from Venezuela. Her incredible jump was 15.74 m (51 ft 7.56003937 in) meters.

A Look Back: History of Triple Jump

People sometimes thought that very long jumps in the ancient Olympic Games were actually triple jumps. This idea came from old stories. However, there is no clear proof that the triple jump was in the ancient Olympics. The very long distances mentioned might have been exaggerated in poems.

The triple jump was included in the very first modern Olympics in 1896. This happened in Athens, Greece. Back then, the jump was a bit different. It involved two hops on the same foot, then a final jump. The first modern Olympic champion was James Connolly, who won the triple jump.

Early Olympics also had a "standing triple jump." In this version, athletes started without a run-up. This event is not part of the Olympics anymore. The women's triple jump was added to the Olympics in 1996, at the Atlanta Games.

In Irish mythology, there was an event called "geal-ruith." This was a triple jump. It was part of the ancient Irish Tailteann Games. These games date back as far as 1829 BC.

How to Triple Jump: The Technique

The triple jump involves three smooth, continuous phases. Athletes need to keep their speed and balance through each part. This helps them jump as far as possible.

The Approach Run

The approach is the first and very important part of the jump. The athlete sprints down a special runway. They aim for a takeoff mark. This mark is usually a wooden board or a painted line.

To make sure athletes don't step over the mark, there's often a strip of clay or tape. If any part of the foot goes past the mark, it's a "foul." The takeoff boards are placed at different distances from the sand pit. This depends on how far the athlete can jump. Common distances are 40 feet, 32 feet, and 24 feet from the pit.

The Hop Phase

The hop is the first of the three main phases. The athlete takes off from the board using one leg. For example, if they use their right leg to take off, they must land on the same right leg.

The goal of the hop is to move forward with power. The landing from the hop is very active. The athlete uses their takeoff leg to push backward strongly. This helps them keep their speed for the next part.

The Step Phase

The step phase starts right after the hop landing. The athlete uses the momentum from the hop. They immediately jump forward and upward. The other leg (the left leg in our example) helps with this takeoff. It moves like a powerful bounding motion.

In the air, the athlete holds a specific position. The takeoff leg (right leg) is bent behind them. The other leg (left leg) is leading, bent at the hip and knee. Then, the athlete extends the leading leg. They quickly bring it backward to land. This landing also involves a strong backward push. The goal is to take the longest step possible while staying balanced.

The Jump Phase

The jump is the final phase. It starts from the landing of the step. The athlete uses the force from the step to take off one last time. This part is similar to a long jump. However, athletes usually have less speed by now. They often use a "hang" or "sail" technique to get more distance.

When landing, the athlete lands in a sand-filled pit. They try to land without sitting back. They also try not to place their hands behind their feet. The sandpit usually starts 13 meters from the takeoff board for men's international events. For women and club-level men, it's usually 11 meters. Each part of the triple jump should flow smoothly. The landings should have a regular rhythm.

What is a Foul?

A "foul" means a jump doesn't count. This can happen for a few reasons:

  • The jumper steps over the takeoff mark.
  • The jumper misses the sand pit completely.
  • The jumper does not use the correct foot sequence (hop on same foot, step on other foot, jump).
  • The jumper takes too long to make the attempt (usually about 90 seconds).

If a foul happens, an official will raise a red flag. The next jumper then gets ready. It is not a foul if an athlete's "sleeping leg" (the non-takeoff leg) touches the ground.

Amazing Records in Triple Jump

Here are some of the best triple jump records around the world.

Area Men's Women's
Mark Athlete Mark Athlete
World 18.29 m (59 ft 11.95374016 in)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR) 15.74 m (51 ft 7.56003937 in) i  Yulimar Rojas (VEN)
Continental records
Africa 18.07 m (59 ft 3.29232284 in) i  Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) 15.39 m (50 ft 5.78051181 in)  Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR)
Asia 17.59 m (57 ft 8.39468504 in)  Yanxi Li (CHN) 15.25 m (50 ft 0.26870079 in)  Olga Rypakova (KAZ)
Europe 18.29 m (59 ft 11.95374016 in)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR) 15.50 m (50 ft 10.11122048 in)  Inessa Kravets (UKR)
North, Central America
and Caribbean
18.21 m (59 ft 8.80413386 in)  Christian Taylor (USA) 15.29 m (50 ft 1.84350394 in)  Yamilé Aldama (CUB)
Oceania 17.46 m (57 ft 3.27657481 in)  Ken Lorraway (AUS) 14.04 m (46 ft 0.63090552 in)  Nicole Mladenis (AUS)
South America 17.90 m (58 ft 8.59940945 in)  Jadel Gregório (BRA) 15.74 m (51 ft 7.56003937 in) i  Yulimar Rojas (VEN)

Note: results cannot count towards records if they are wind-assisted (meaning the wind was blowing too strongly, over 2.0 m/s).

Champions of the Triple Jump

Many incredible athletes have won medals in the triple jump at major competitions.

Olympic Champions

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
details
James Brendan Connolly
 United States
Alexandre Tuffère
 France
Ioannis Persakis
 Greece
1900 Paris
details
Myer Prinstein
 United States
James Brendan Connolly
 United States
Lewis Sheldon
 United States
1904 St. Louis
details
Myer Prinstein
 United States
Fred Englehardt
 United States
Robert Stangland
 United States
1908 London
details
Tim Ahearne
 Great Britain
Garfield MacDonald
 Canada
Edvard Larsen
 Norway
1912 Stockholm
details
Gustaf Lindblom
 Sweden
Georg Åberg
 Sweden
Erik Almlöf
 Sweden
1920 Antwerp
details
Vilho Tuulos
 Finland
Folke Jansson
 Sweden
Erik Almlöf
 Sweden
1924 Paris
details
Nick Winter
 Australia
Luis Brunetto
 Argentina
Vilho Tuulos
 Finland
1928 Amsterdam
details
Mikio Oda
 Japan
Levi Casey
 United States
Vilho Tuulos
 Finland
1932 Los Angeles
details
Chūhei Nambu
 Japan
Erik Svensson
 Sweden
Kenkichi Oshima
 Japan
1936 Berlin
details
Naoto Tajima
 Japan
Masao Harada
 Japan
Jack Metcalfe
 Australia
1948 London
details
Arne Åhman
 Sweden
George Avery
 Australia
Ruhi Sarıalp
 Turkey
1952 Helsinki
details
Adhemar da Silva
 Brazil
Leonid Shcherbakov
 Soviet Union
Asnoldo Devonish
 Venezuela
1956 Melbourne
details
Adhemar da Silva
 Brazil
Vilhjálmur Einarsson
 Iceland
Vitold Kreyer
 Soviet Union
1960 Rome
details
Józef Szmidt
 Poland
Vladimir Goryaev
 Soviet Union
Vitold Kreyer
 Soviet Union
1964 Tokyo
details
Józef Szmidt
 Poland
Oleg Fedoseyev
 Soviet Union
Viktor Kravchenko
 Soviet Union
1968 Mexico City
details
Viktor Saneyev
 Soviet Union
Nelson Prudêncio
 Brazil
Giuseppe Gentile
 Italy
1972 Munich
details
Viktor Saneyev
 Soviet Union
Jörg Drehmel
 East Germany
Nelson Prudêncio
 Brazil
1976 Montreal
details
Viktor Saneyev
 Soviet Union
James Butts
 United States
João Carlos de Oliveira
 Brazil
1980 Moscow
details
Jaak Uudmäe
 Soviet Union
Viktor Saneyev
 Soviet Union
João Carlos de Oliveira
 Brazil
1984 Los Angeles
details
Al Joyner
 United States
Mike Conley
 United States
Keith Connor
 Great Britain
1988 Seoul
details
Khristo Markov
 Bulgaria
Igor Lapshin
 Soviet Union
Aleksandr Kovalenko
 Soviet Union
1992 Barcelona
details
Mike Conley
 United States
Charles Simpkins
 United States
Frank Rutherford
 Bahamas
1996 Atlanta
details
Kenny Harrison
 United States
Jonathan Edwards
 Great Britain
Yoelbi Quesada
 Cuba
2000 Sydney
details
Jonathan Edwards
 Great Britain
Yoel García
 Cuba
Denis Kapustin
 Russia
2004 Athens
details
Christian Olsson
 Sweden
Marian Oprea
 Romania
Danil Burkenya
 Russia
2008 Beijing
details
Nelson Évora
 Portugal
Phillips Idowu
 Great Britain
Leevan Sands
 Bahamas
2012 London
details
Christian Taylor
 United States
Will Claye
 United States
Fabrizio Donato
 Italy
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Christian Taylor
 United States
Will Claye
 United States
Dong Bin
 China
2020 Tokyo
details
Pedro Pichardo
 Portugal
Zhu Yaming
 China
Hugues Fabrice Zango
 Burkina Faso
2024 Paris
details
Jordan Díaz Fortún
 Spain
Pedro Pichardo
 Portugal
Andy Díaz Hernández
 Italy
Games Gold Silver Bronze
1996 Atlanta
details
Inessa Kravets
 Ukraine
Inna Lasovskaya
 Russia
Šárka Kašpárková
 Czech Republic
2000 Sydney
details
Tereza Marinova
 Bulgaria
Tatyana Lebedeva
 Russia
Olena Hovorova
 Ukraine
2004 Athens
details
Françoise Mbango Etone
 Cameroon
Hrysopiyí Devetzí
 Greece
Tatyana Lebedeva
 Russia
2008 Beijing
details
Françoise Mbango Etone
 Cameroon
Olga Rypakova
 Kazakhstan
Yargelis Savigne
 Cuba
2012 London
details
Olga Rypakova
 Kazakhstan
Caterine Ibargüen
 Colombia
Olha Saladukha
 Ukraine
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Caterine Ibargüen
 Colombia
Yulimar Rojas
 Venezuela
Olga Rypakova
 Kazakhstan
2020 Tokyo
details
Yulimar Rojas
 Venezuela
Patrícia Mamona
 Portugal
Ana Peleteiro
 Spain
2024 Paris
details
Thea LaFond
 Dominica
Shanieka Ricketts
 Jamaica
Jasmine Moore
 United States

World Champions

Championships Gold Silver Bronze
1983 Helsinki
details
 Zdzisław Hoffmann (POL)  Willie Banks (USA)  Ajayi Agbebaku (NGR)
1987 Rome
details
 Khristo Markov (BUL)  Mike Conley (USA)  Oleg Sakirkin (URS)
1991 Tokyo
details
 Kenny Harrison (USA)  Leonid Voloshin (URS)  Mike Conley (USA)
1993 Stuttgart
details
 Mike Conley (USA)  Leonid Voloshin (RUS)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR)
1995 Gothenburg
details
 Jonathan Edwards (GBR)  Brian Wellman (BER)  Jérôme Romain (DMA)
1997 Athens
details
 Yoelbi Quesada (CUB)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR)  Aliecer Urrutia (CUB)
1999 Seville
details
 Charles Friedek (GER)  Rostislav Dimitrov (BUL)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR)
2001 Edmonton
details
 Jonathan Edwards (GBR)  Christian Olsson (SWE)  Igor Spasovkhodskiy (RUS)
2003 Saint-Denis
details
 Christian Olsson (SWE)  Yoandri Betanzos (CUB)  Leevan Sands (BAH)
2005 Helsinki
details
 Walter Davis (USA)  Yoandri Betanzos (CUB)  Marian Oprea (ROU)
2007 Osaka
details
 Nelson Évora (POR)  Jadel Gregório (BRA)  Walter Davis (USA)
2009 Berlin
details
 Phillips Idowu (GBR)  Nelson Évora (POR)  Alexis Copello (CUB)
2011 Daegu
details
 Christian Taylor (USA)  Phillips Idowu (GBR)  Will Claye (USA)
2013 Moscow
details
 Teddy Tamgho (FRA)  Pedro Pichardo (CUB)  Will Claye (USA)
2015 Beijing
details
 Christian Taylor (USA)  Pedro Pichardo (CUB)  Nelson Évora (POR)
2017 London
details
 Christian Taylor (USA)  Will Claye (USA)  Nelson Évora (POR)
2019 Doha
details
 Christian Taylor (USA)  Will Claye (USA)  Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)
2022 Eugene
details
 Pedro Pichardo (POR)  Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)  Zhu Yaming (CHN)
2023 Budapest
details
 Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)  Lázaro Martínez (CUB)  Cristian Nápoles (CUB)
Championships Gold Silver Bronze
1993 Stuttgart
details
 Anna Biryukova (RUS)  Yolanda Chen (RUS)  Iva Prandzheva (BUL)
1995 Gothenburg
details
 Inessa Kravets (UKR)  Iva Prandzheva (BUL)  Anna Biryukova (RUS)
1997 Athens
details
 Šárka Kašpárková (CZE)  Rodica Mateescu (ROU)  Olena Hovorova (UKR)
1999 Seville
details
 Paraskevi Tsiamita (GRE)  Yamilé Aldama (CUB)  Olga Vasdeki (GRE)
2001 Edmonton
details
 Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR)  Tereza Marinova (BUL)
2003 Saint-Denis
details
 Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR)  Magdelín Martínez (ITA)
2005 Helsinki
details
 Trecia Smith (JAM)  Yargelis Savigne (CUB)  Anna Pyatykh (RUS)
2007 Osaka[B]
details
 Yargelis Savigne (CUB)  Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Marija Šestak (SLO)
2009 Berlin
details
 Yargelis Savigne (CUB)  Mabel Gay (CUB)  Anna Pyatykh (RUS)
2011 Daegu
details
 Olha Saladukha (UKR)  Olga Rypakova (KAZ)  Caterine Ibargüen (COL)
2013 Moscow
details
 Caterine Ibargüen (COL)  Ekaterina Koneva (RUS)  Olha Saladukha (UKR)
2015 Beijing
details
 Caterine Ibargüen (COL)  Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko (ISR)  Olga Rypakova (KAZ)
2017 London
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Caterine Ibargüen (COL)  Olga Rypakova (KAZ)
2019 Doha
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Shanieka Ricketts (JAM)  Caterine Ibargüen (COL)
2022 Eugene
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Shanieka Ricketts (JAM)  Tori Franklin (USA)
2023 Budapest
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR)  Leyanis Pérez Hernández (CUB)

Note

  • B  The original bronze medalist (Hrysopiyi Devetzi of Greece) was disqualified for doping in 2016. The medal was given to Anna Pyatykh but later in 2017 she was disqualified for the use of steroids.


Indoor World Champions

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1985 Paris
details
 Khristo Markov (BUL)  Lázaro Betancourt (CUB)  Lázaro Balcindes (CUB)
1987 Indianapolis
details
 Mike Conley (USA)  Oleg Protsenko (URS)  Frank Rutherford (BAH)
1989 Budapest
details
 Mike Conley (USA)  Jorge Reyna (CUB)  Juan Miguel López (CUB)
1991 Seville
details
 Igor Lapshin (URS)  Leonid Voloshin (URS)  Tord Henriksson (SWE)
1993 Toronto
details
 Pierre Camara (FRA)  Māris Bružiks (LAT)  Brian Wellman (BER)
1995 Barcelona
details
 Brian Wellman (BER)  Yoelbi Quesada (CUB)  Serge Hélan (FRA)
1997 Paris
details
 Yoel García (CUB)  Aliecer Urrutia (CUB)  Aleksandr Aseledchenko (RUS)
1999 Maebashi
details
 Charles Friedek (GER)  LaMark Carter (USA)  Zsolt Czingler (HUN)
2001 Lisbon
details
 Paolo Camossi (ITA)  Jonathan Edwards (GBR)  Andrew Murphy (AUS)
2003 Birmingham
details
 Christian Olsson (SWE)  Walter Davis (USA)  Yoelbi Quesada (CUB)
2004 Budapest
details
 Christian Olsson (SWE)  Jadel Gregório (BRA)  Yoandri Betanzos (CUB)
2006 Moscow
details
 Walter Davis (USA)  Jadel Gregório (BRA)  Yoandri Betanzos (CUB)
2008 Valencia
details
 Phillips Idowu (GBR)  Arnie David Giralt (CUB)  Nelson Évora (POR)
2010 Doha
details
 Teddy Tamgho (FRA)  Yoandri Betanzos (CUB)  Arnie David Giralt (CUB)
2012 Istanbul
details
 Will Claye (USA)  Christian Taylor (USA)  Lyukman Adams (RUS)
2014 Sopot
details
 Lyukman Adams (RUS)  Ernesto Revé (CUB)  Pedro Pichardo (CUB)
2016 Portland
details
 Dong Bin (CHN)  Max Heß (GER)  Benjamin Compaoré (FRA)
2018 Birmingham
details
 Will Claye (USA)  Almir dos Santos (BRA)  Nelson Évora (POR)
2022 Belgrade
details
 Lázaro Martínez (CUB)  Pedro Pichardo (POR)  Donald Scott (USA)
2024 Glasgow
details
 Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)  Yasser Triki (ALG)  Tiago Pereira (POR)
2025 Nanjing
details
 Andy Díaz (ITA)  Zhu Yaming (CHN)  Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)
  • Known as the World Indoor Games
  • The original bronze medalist (Almir dos Santos of Brazil) was disqualified for wearing non-regulation shoes.
Games Gold Silver Bronze
1993 Toronto
details
 Inessa Kravets (UKR)  Yolanda Chen (RUS)  Inna Lasovskaya (RUS)
1995 Barcelona
details
 Yolanda Chen (RUS)  Iva Prandzheva (BUL)  Ren Ruiping (CHN)
1997 Paris
details
 Inna Lasovskaya (RUS)  Ashia Hansen (GBR)  Šárka Kašpárková (CZE)
1999 Maebashi
details
 Ashia Hansen (GBR)  Iva Prandzheva (BUL)  Šárka Kašpárková (CZE)
2001 Lisbon
details
 Tereza Marinova (BUL)  Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Tiombe Hurd (USA)
2003 Birmingham
details
 Ashia Hansen (GBR)  Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR)  Kéné Ndoye (SEN)
2004 Budapest
details
 Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Yamilé Aldama (SUD)  Hrysopiyi Devetzi (GRE)
2006 Moscow
details
 Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)  Anna Pyatykh (RUS)  Yamilé Aldama (SUD)
2008 Valencia
details
 Yargelis Savigne (CUB)  Hrysopiyi Devetzi (GRE)  Marija Šestak (SLO)
2010 Doha
details
 Olga Rypakova (KAZ)  Yargelis Savigne (CUB)  Anna Pyatykh (RUS)
2012 Istanbul
details
 Yamilé Aldama (GBR)  Olga Rypakova (KAZ)  Mabel Gay (CUB)
2014 Sopot
details
 Ekaterina Koneva (RUS)  Olha Saladukha (UKR)  Kimberly Williams (JAM)
2016 Portland
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Kristin Gierisch (GER)  Paraskevi Papachristou (GRE)
2018 Birmingham
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Kimberly Williams (JAM)  Ana Peleteiro (ESP)
2022 Belgrade
details
 Yulimar Rojas (VEN)  Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR)  Kimberly Williams (JAM)
2024 Glasgow
details
 Thea Lafond (DMA)  Leyanis Pérez (CUB)  Ana Peleteiro (ESP)

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