"A true legend indeed!!!"; "Greatest triple jumper of all time"- Fans react as two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor announces retirement

Christian Taylor has announced his retirement after 17 years of an illustrious career. Taylor said that his final competition would be on Friday, July 19 at the Holloway Pro Classic at the University of Florida where he launched his career.

Christian Taylor started his professional career in 2007 and made his World Championships debut at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu with a winning start. In 2012, Taylor made his Olympic debut, winning the triple jump gold after clearing 17.81m.

Taylor was in action at the 2016 Rio Olympics and defended his title successfully. However, he could not compete at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to an achilles injury.

The retirement announcement was shared in a post by the American Track League in collaboration with Taylor on Instagram.

"Olympic Legend @taylored2jump (Christian Taylor) will be competing in the final event of his career at the upcoming Holloway Pro Classic! Join us for the Holloway Pro Classic at the University of Florida’s James G. Pressly Stadium!" the post read.

Following his retirement news, fans have come out to laud Christian Taylor for his impact on the sport. Some fans noted that if it were not for injuries, Taylor would still be in the game with others insisting that he has achieved more than enough in the sport and remains to be a legend.

One fan wrote:

"His combo of being the second farthest ever as well as being more accomplished than any other TJer makes him the GOAT, undoubtedly."

"This is way too quiet for a legend," another fan chimed in.

"A true legend indeed!!!" another fan added.

Here are some more reactions from fans concerning Christian Taylor’s retirement.

"The first athlete I watched when I started with Track and Field. The reason why I started and my goat 🐐 Happy Retirement!" a fan wrote.

"The #GOAT. Injuries killed his farewell...It was a wonderful ride 🏆@Taylored2jump," another added.

"Still is the Greatest Triple Jumper of All Time!" another fan wrote.

How injuries plague forced Christian Taylor into early retirement

Christian Taylor at the ISTAF 2020 (Source: Getty Images)

Christian Taylor believed he still had all it takes to break the triple jump world record and hopefully make his third Olympic team.

Going into 2024 after an injury bout, Taylor was confident about making the cut to the Paris Olympics and getting to the final, where he was sure anything was possible.

However, his fitness proved wanting at the American could only afford a 10th-place finish at the U.S. Olympic trials, forcing him to cut short his Olympic dream.

Speaking to NBC Sports, Taylor noted that he wanted to claim one more accolade, making the Olympic team and if he missed that chance, it would be very disappointing.

"There’s a significant level of gratitude that I have, but even with all that, to walk away not making a third (Olympic) team, yeah, that would be disappointing," Christian Taylor said.

"That’s always something I personally challenged myself to do. So I continue to believe in my ability and know that it’s possible. One thing I tell myself daily is, really, I’m one jump away," he added.

Apart from his Olympic exploits, Taylor also won four World Championships golds. The first of these came in the 2011 edition of the tournament in Daegu, when he jumped 17.96m. His second gold came in 2015, when he set what remains his personal best of 18.21m.

Taylor's third World Championships gold came in 2017 in London, when he edged out compatriot Will Claye. He beat Claye in Doha two years later to clinch his fourth and final gold at the World Championships.