Will Claye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Will Claye

Claye at the 2011 World Championships Athletics in Daegu
Personal information
Born	(1991-06-13) June 13, 1991 (age 34) Tucson, Arizona, United States
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	160 lb
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Triple jump, long jump
College team	University of Florida
Turned pro	2012
Coached by	Jeremy Fischer
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 2 1 World Championships 0 2 2 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Triple jump Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Triple jump Bronze 2012 London Long jump World Championships Silver 2017 London Triple jump Silver 2019 Doha Triple jump Bronze 2011 Daegu Triple jump Bronze 2013 Moscow Triple jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2012 Istanbul Triple jump Gold 2018 Birmingham Triple jump

Will Claye (born June 13, 1991) is an American track and field athlete. He is known for competing in the long jump and triple jump. Will Claye has won many medals in major competitions. These include the Olympic Games and World Championships.

He earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. He also won gold medals at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships. In his first Olympics in London 2012, Claye won a bronze medal in long jump. He also took a silver medal in triple jump. Four years later, at the Rio 2016 Olympics, he won another silver medal in the triple jump.

Will Claye's best triple jump is 18.14 meters. He achieved this on June 29, 2019, in Long Beach. This amazing jump makes him one of the top triple jumpers of all time.

Will was a two-time high school champion in the triple jump in Arizona. He set a new state record by jumping over 50 feet. He went to Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona. There, USA Today named him to their All-USA Team for both jumps in 2008. Claye first attended the University of Oklahoma. Later, he moved to the University of Florida.

Will Claye's Athletic Journey

College Sports Career

While at the University of Oklahoma, Claye competed for the Oklahoma Sooners track and field team. He won the 2009 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the triple jump. This happened on his 18th birthday. He set a new American junior record with a jump of 17.19 meters.

During his second year at Oklahoma, Claye faced some challenges. Stress fractures in his back and leg affected his performance. After the 2010 outdoor season, he moved to the University of Florida. He joined Christian Taylor, who was also a champion jumper. They trained under the famous jumps coach, Dick Booth.

In 2011, Florida won the NCAA Indoor National Championship. Coach Booth's jumpers helped a lot, scoring 30 of the team's 52 points. Claye won the national title in the triple jump. He also finished second in the long jump.

Claye finished second behind Taylor at the 2011 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships. They also finished in the same order at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Claye finished his college career at Florida after his junior year. He earned eight "All American" honors and two NCAA titles. He won both the triple and long jumps at the 2011 SEC Championships.

World Championships in 2011

At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Claye competed in two events. He placed 9th in the long jump. He then earned a bronze medal by finishing 3rd in the triple jump.

After the 2011 World Championships, Claye and his teammate Christian Taylor left the University of Florida. They decided to become professional athletes. This allowed them to focus on training for the 2012 London Olympics. Nike sponsors Will Claye, and he trains with coach Martin Smith.

Olympic Year: 2012

Claye started the 2012 indoor season strong. He set an early leading mark in the triple jump of 17.39 meters. This happened at the 2012 Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

At the 2012 USA Indoor Championships in February, Claye won the triple jump. He jumped over 17.37 meters on three jumps in a row. His best jump was 17.63 meters, which was the world's leading mark at the time. He also finished second in the long jump with a mark of 8.02 meters.

He then won his first world title at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. He won the triple jump with a jump of 17.70 meters, beating Christian Taylor. He also placed fourth in the long jump. In the outdoor season, he finished second at the Shanghai and Eugene events of the 2012 Diamond League.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Claye had an amazing performance. He first won the bronze medal in the long jump. Five days later, he won the silver medal in the triple jump. He was the first man since 1936 to win medals in both the long and triple jumps at the same Olympics. The last person to do this was Naoto Tajima of Japan at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics.

World Championships in 2013

At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Claye won a bronze medal. He triple jumped 17.52 meters.

World Championships in 2015

In the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, Claye competed in the triple jump. He jumped 16.41 meters.

Olympic Year: 2016

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Claye earned a silver medal. He achieved a triple jump of 17.76 meters.

World Championships in 2017

At the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, Claye won another silver medal. His triple jump was 17.63 meters.

World Indoor Championships in 2018

In 2018, Claye won a gold medal at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. He triple jumped 17.43 meters.

World Championships in 2019

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Claye earned a silver medal. He triple jumped 17.74 meters.

Olympic Games in 2021

At the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic) in Tokyo, Claye finished 4th in the triple jump. He jumped 17.44 meters.

World Championships in 2022

At the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Claye finished 4th in the triple jump with 17.19 meters. Later that year, at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, United States, he placed 11th with a jump of 16.54 meters.

World Championships in 2023

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Claye finished 7th in the triple jump. His jump was 16.99 meters.

World Indoor Championships in 2025

At the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Claye finished 10th in the triple jump. He jumped 16.31 meters.

Will Claye's Best Jumps

Images for kids

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  Claye at the 2011 World Championships Athletics in Daegu

More About Will Claye

• Florida Gators
• List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
• List of University of Florida Olympians

See also

In Spanish: Will Claye para niños