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Jonathan Edwards Biography |
Jonathan David Edwards (born May 10, 1966 in London, England) is a former British triple jumper. He is an Olympic champion and as of 2004 holds the world record in the event.
Edwards initially refused to compete on Sundays due to his devout Christian beliefs, a decision which cost him a chance to compete in the 1991 World Championships. However in 1993, after much deliberation and discussion with his father (a vicar), he changed his mind, stating that God gave him his talent in order for him to compete. The decision proved timely, since the qualifying round at that year's World Championships took place on a Sunday. He went on to win the bronze medal.
He capped an unbeaten 1995 with a historic gold medal performance at the World Championships. On his first jump, he became the first to pass the 18-metre barrier (18.16 m). That record lasted for about 20 minutes. His second jump of 18.29m made him the first to jump 60 feet. Later the same year Edwards became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Edwards won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and was awarded the CBE shortly afterwards. He also won golds at the 2001 World Championships and 2002 Commonwealth Games. He retired after the 2003 World Championships as Great Britain's most medalled athlete.
Following his retirement, Edwards has pursued a media career. He is currently a television presenter mainly working for the BBC as a sports commentator and on programmes such as Songs of Praise.
Major achievements
1989
IAAF World Cup - Barcelona, Spain.
bronze medal
1990
Commonwealth Games - Auckland, New Zealand.
silver medal
1992
IAAF World Cup - Havana, Cuba.
gold medal
1993
World Championships - Stuttgart, Germany.
bronze medal
1994
Commonwealth Games - Victoria, Canada.
silver medal
1995
World Championships - Gothenburg, Sweden.
gold medal
European Cup - Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
gold medal
1996
Summer Olympics - Atlanta, USA.
silver medal
European Cup - Madrid, Spain.
gold medal
1997
World Championships - Athens, Greece.
silver medal
European Cup - Munich, Germany.
gold medal
1998
Goodwill Games - New York, United States of America.
gold medal
European Championships - Budapest, Hungary.
gold medal
European Indoor Championships - Valencia, Spain.
gold medal
European Cup - Saint Petersburg, Russia
gold medal
1999
World Championships - Seville, Spain.
bronze medal
European Cup - Paris, France.
silver medal
2000
Summer Olympics - Sydney, Australia.
gold medal
2001
World Championships - Edmonton, Canada.
gold medal
World Indoor Championships - Lisbon, Portugal.
silver medal
Goodwill Games - Brisbane, Australia.
gold medal
European Cup - Bremen, Germany.
gold medal
2002
Commonwealth Games - Manchester, England.
gold medal
IAAF World Cup - Madrid, Spain.
gold medal
European Cup - Annecy, France.
gold medal |
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