by Larry Eder
Christian Taylor, 2011 WC gold medalist, TJ (from 2011 USA Champs), photo by PhotoRun.net
The Triple Jump is one of those activities that requires an appreciation of the technical nature of the event. It is also terribly hard on the body, and practitioners can attest.
The battle for the top three positions changed several times.
Phillips Idowu, 2011 WC silver medalist, TJ, (photo from 2010 AVIVA Gateshead), photo by PhotoRun.net
Phillips Idowu, the defending champion, took the lead on his first jump, hitting 17.56m. Neslon Evora of Cuba took over second on his first jump with 17.35m. Christiaan Olsson of Sweden hit 17.23 on his first jump, putting him into third.
On his third attempt, Christian Taylor put himself into second place with his 17.40m jump. On his third attempt, Will Claye put himself into second place with his 17.50m jump. Benjamin Compaore of France also improved on third attempt, hitting 17.17, which put him into eighth place.
On their fourth attempts, Christian Taylor let it fly, as he hit 17.96m, catapulting him from third to first. Phillips Idowu followed up with 17.77m, one of his best jumps ever, but placing him in second. Alexis Copello of Cuba had a very large jump, but fouled.
Will Claye, 2011 WC Champs, bronze medalist, TJ, photo by PhotoRun.net
On their fifth attempts, only Alexis Copello of Cuba improved, to 17.47m, giving him fourth place.
In the sixth round, Phillips Idowu jumped 17.47m, but could not overtake Christian Taylor.
Christian Taylor, USA, took the gold medal with his 17.96m jump, the world leader. Phillips Idowu of Great Britain, took the silver in 17.77, his seasonal best. Will Claye, also of the USA, took the bronze in 17.50m, his personal best.
