Jonathan Edwards: “It’s not impossible my world record could go”

The 2000 Olympic triple bounce champion believes his long-standing mark of 18.29m could also be damaged in Paris

It’s not usually you break two world information within the area of 20 minutes however Jonathan Edwards did simply that on the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg.

Within the build-up to these championships, Edwards had added one centimetre to Willie Banks’ 10-year-old world report of 17.97m in Salamanca and regarded in imperious kind.

In Gothenburg he produced a string of jumps which might be nonetheless talked about to today, recording marks of 18.16m and 18.29m, with the latter nonetheless standing because the world report.

Edwards’ mark of 18.16m was the third greatest in historical past till the latest European Championships, the place Spain’s Jordan Alejandro Díaz Fortún – initially of Cuba – jumped 18.18m.

With present Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo having additionally jumped 18.04m this season, it means the triple bounce closing in Paris might be one of many occasions of all the Video games.

Kenny Harrison’s 18.09m from Atlanta 1996 continues to be the Olympic report however, such is the calibre of competitors that speak of the likes of Díaz or Pichardo surpassing Edwards’ 18.29m is within the air.

Forward of the Olympic triple bounce closing, we caught up with the 2000 Olympic champion at PUMA Home in Paris on whether or not he thinks his report might be damaged and what profitable gold in Sydney 24 years in the past meant to him.

What are your ideas on the Olympic males’s triple bounce closing? 

I feel it will likely be a really sturdy closing. It’ll most likely be the perfect for a lot of years, since Christian Taylor was at his peak. I keep in mind he jumped 18.21m on the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and that was unimaginable.

We noticed a little bit of a preview of this closing on the European Championships in Rome, the place Pedro Pichardo and Jordan Díaz confirmed they’re in nice kind. Then there may be [Jamaican] Jaydon Hibbert and I’ve been watching him from afar doing these loopy distances off a brief method. He’s an unimaginable expertise and, though he has a number of niggles, I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing him bounce. [World champion] Hugues Fabrice Zango can be leaping properly. If all of them push one another, then it may result in one thing fairly particular.

You’ve acquired one of many longest standing world information in observe and discipline. Do you suppose that’s below menace tonight? 

It’s not inconceivable it may go. You’ve seen how far Díaz jumped in Rome and Pichardo is over 18m as properly. It relies on situations and the wind may have a huge effect. If there’s a slight headwind then they received’t break the world report but when they’ve an aiding wind and the competitors actually hots up then it’s actually not out of the query.

Pichardo, I feel, is the category of the sphere. He’s the reigning Olympic champion and is aware of learn how to get it achieved, which is so necessary in an Olympic closing. You then’ve acquired Jaydon on the different finish, who is just not even 20 years outdated and that is his first Video games, so it’s an enormous step up for him. The competitors will probably be fierce and [the world record being broken is] not out of the query.

Why do you suppose your world report has lasted so lengthy?

I’m requested that rather a lot, for apparent causes, and the reply is that I don’t know. There are 4 males’s discipline occasion world information from the Nineties which might be nonetheless standing. You’ve acquired Mike Powell within the lengthy bounce, Javier Sotomayor within the excessive bounce, Jan Železný within the javelin after which myself within the triple bounce.

There’s one argument that I take advantage of, and it doesn’t fully maintain true as a result of it’s not the case throughout all of the occasions, however I feel there are such a lot of extra choices for proficient sportsmen and sportswomen to earn more money now. I feel the expertise pool going into observe and discipline is smaller in order that’s the one factor that I can consider, other than the truth that it’s a fantastic report!

There’s this explosion in know-how and also you’ve undoubtedly seen that in observe occasions. If you introduce it in discipline occasions, sure it’s about tools and that may enable you, nevertheless it’s concerning the technical facet and the power of the person.

There’s a pair of the spikes that I wore once I broke the world report on the PUMA archive and they’re large, heavy and inflexible. They now look historic! Nevertheless, they labored for me. I used to be clearly physiologically very suited to the triple bounce and that’s what made the largest impression.

Jonathan Edwards in Sydney (Getty)

How helpful had been the Seoul and Barcelona Olympics in getting ready you for gold in Sydney and silver in Atlanta? 

I feel it took me some time to really feel comfy at an atmosphere like an Olympics. In each Seoul and Barcelona I didn’t qualify for the ultimate and got here away fairly devastated. These are all the time the essential factors in life and it’s the way you reply if issues are garbage. It undoubtedly gave me a stronger core and resilience.

In Atlanta I may’ve so simply walked away with nothing. I had two fouls within the closing and everywhere mentally. I then acquired a silver there and received in Sydney.

What’s your greatest reminiscence at an Olympics? 

I used to be fortunate sufficient to compete on ‘Magic Monday’ at Sydney 2000 and noticed how the Australian crowd responded to Cathy Freeman. It was spine-tingling and there was 112,000 individuals in that stadium. That was a excessive level and other people neglect that Michael Johnson, Kelly Holmes and Colin Jackson ran. Plus the Haile Gebrselassie v Paul Tergat 10,000m closing.

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