Christian Taylor Retirement: A glimpse of the best performances of the American athlete as he bids farewell to the sport

Two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor recently announced his retirement after he was unable to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024.

As per an announcement via a social media post on the official page of Mike Holloway Pro Classic, Taylor's appearance at this event was to be his final appearance as an athlete.

The 34-year-old was overwhelmed as he announced this decision. He said,

"I've just been extremely blessed and incredibly supported. It's just surreal that it's almost over." [via Associated Press]

Christian Taylor is an acclaimed triple jumper, with almost every major championship to his credit, be it the World Championships, or the Olympic Games. Taylor aimed to end his career on a golden high by qualifying for the Paris Olympics. However, he was eliminated in the trials, as he managed just 16.32 m during the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, ending 10th overall.

Christian Taylor's early beginnings as an NCAA Indoor Champion

Christian Taylor, who hails from Fayetteville, Georgia, had begun as a child prodigy. He won the gold medal in the triple jump at the Junior World Championships held in Ostrava in 2007 when he was a high school student. Taylor also won a bronze medal in the long jump.

Christian Taylor [C] with the gold medal at the 2011 IAAF World Championships [Image Source: Getty]

By 2009, Taylor was a student at the University of Florida. He excelled at the NCAA Indoor Championships. In 2010 and 2011, Taylor won the gold medal at the NCAA outdoor championships as well. The very same year, he participated at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu and won the gold medal with a world-leading jump of 17.96 m.

When Christian Taylor almost broke the World Record

However, it was at the Beijing World Championships where Taylor truly shone. He was already the defending Olympic champion by then, having won a gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

At the Beijing World Championships in 2015, Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba was set to give tough competition to Taylor, with his personal best being 18.08 m. In fact, he even overcame Taylor during the qualifications, by jumping 17.43 m to qualify for the finals.

Christian Taylor after winning the gold medal at the Beijing World Championships [Image Source: Getty]

In the finals, it was a neck-to-neck fight between Taylor and Pedro Pichardo, with Pedro staying ahead during the first three jumps. Taylor took the lead with the fourth jump, but none were prepared for his final move. In his sixth and final attempt, Taylor shocked everyone as he leaped forward to a distance of 18.21 m, just 8 cm short of Jonathan Edwards' world record of 18.29 m, which was set exactly two decades ago at the 1995 World Championships.

Christian Taylor's double success at the Olympics

Meanwhile, Taylor's success was just not limited to the World Championships. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Taylor was expected to repeat his performance from the 2012 London Olympics.

Christian Taylor [C] with other medalists at the Rio Olympics

Taylor didn't disappoint further. However, instead of aiming for the record, he played it safe, jumping enough to secure a second successive gold medal. Taylor jumped to a distance of 17.86 m to win the gold medal. He further won two successive gold medals at the 2017 and the 2019 World Championships respectively.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Taylor was expected to complete a hattrick of gold medals. However, before the Olympic trials, he injured his Achilles tendon, which forced him to sit out of the Olympics and indirectly accelerated the end of his career.