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For the first time in eight years, the men's triple jump at the Olympics will see a new gold medallist on the podium. This is because two-time Olympic gold winner Christian Taylor will be absent from the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Why is Christian Taylor not participating at the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Taylor ruptured his Achilles Tendon while attempting a jump at an event in Ostrava in May. The injury was serious and he had to be immediately flown to Germany for surgery.
As a result, Christian Taylor could not participate in the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 which ended his Tokyo Olympics 2020 dreams. However, the reigning Olympic and World Champion has promised to 'jump' back stronger than ever before. Taylor is 31 and time may not be on his side but don't be surprised if you see him back at the Paris Olympics 2024.
"I have to set my eyes towards Paris," Christian Taylor has said.
Christian Taylor's past performances at Olympics and World Championships
At the US Olympic Trails 2012, Christian Taylor finished in first place, beating his arch-rival Will Claye comprehensively. The 31-year-old jumped and covered a distance of 17.63m while Claye managed a distance of 17.55m.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Taylor and Claye were locked in another fierce battle. The former fouled in his first two attempts as Claye recorded an impressive 17.54m in his second jump. Taylor's third jump was only 17.15m long but he made up for the fouls and his poor start through his fourth jump, which measured 17.81m.
Claye's fourth jump measured 17.62m which meant Taylor went on to claim his first gold medal, while Claye had to be content with silver.
Taylor and Claye again found themselves at loggerheads again at the US Olympic Trails 2016. The latter outsmarted Taylor with an impressive jump of 17.65m. Taylor finished second with his best jump measuring 17.39m.
But at the 2016 Olympics, Christian Taylor extracted revenge. Unlike in London, he started with an impressive jump of 17.86m. Will Claye too recorded a good jump of 17.76m in his first attempt. But none of the other eleven finalists managed to cross Taylor's 17.86m mark as he claimed his second Olympic gold. Claye once again had to again settle for the silver medal.
Outside the Olympic Games, Christian Taylor is a four-time world champion. He has won the world championships in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019. His performance at the 2015 World Athletic Championships in Beijing was particularly impressive as his gold medal winning jump measured a fantastic 18.21m. It was the second best triple jump ever recorded and just 0.08m short of equalling the world record set by Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain in 1995.
Christian Taylor also remains unbeatable in the Diamond League. He has featured in 29 Dimond League events since his debut in 2011 and has won all of them.
Also read: Allyson Felix-A supermom on her way to Tokyo Olympics 2020
Who could win the men's triple jump at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in Taylor's absence?
With Taylor recuperating from his injury, the Tokyo Games could be Will Claye's best chance to finally claim the gold medal.
At the US Trials, Claye's best jump was 17.21m. But he recorded a personal best of 18.14m back in 2019 and will have experience on his side.
Apart from Claye, Cuba's Jordan Diaz is also the one to watch out for. Diaz jumped 17.30m to break the U18 world record at the 2017 World U18 Championships in Nairobi. In 2018, he improved his jump to to 17.41m and then went on to clinch the world U20 title in Tampere. The next year, he improved his jump to 17.49m. Diaz is merely 20, but is already ranked number 3 in the world.
Claye will also face stiff competition from Burkina Faso's Hugues Fabrice Zango. Zango recorded his personal best of 17.82m on July 6 in Hungary and won bronze at the 2019 World Championships with a jump of 17.66m.
Also read: Is Nia Ali going to Tokyo Olympics 2020?
