"It's not how you fall, It's how you get up"- 2x Olympic champion Christian Taylor reflects on his journey after final jump at Holloway Pro Classic

Christian Taylor delivered the final jump of his 17-year career at the Holloway Pro Classic on July 19, 2024. After his triple jump performance, the athlete opened up about his journey and its lowest times.

The American athlete, who has already enjoyed the spotlight in two Olympics, including his 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games by winning gold in each of them, showcased his last jump at the University of Florida in the James G. Pressly Stadium. An Instagram post from the American Track League shared the news of his retirement

"Olympic Legend @taylored2jump 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!"#

He ended his triple jump career on Friday after finishing sixth with a jump of 16.14m at the Holloway Pro Classic. He reflected on his journey and opened up about the biggest lessons he learned in his career in a post-event interview with Citius Mag.

"It helped me build my spirit of resilience, perseverance. You know, when life is going to throw you lemons, you've got to make lemonade. So, it's not how you fall, it's how you get up. And actually, the people that are around you have just been a critical part of my recovery. So, whether my agency, my family, the Gator nation."

He added:

"I felt like even when I was at my lowest, I had people really lifting me up, saying, ‘Just keep going.’ And so, I'm just extraordinarily proud and grateful of this school and my support circle."

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Why didn't Christian Taylor compete at the Tokyo Olympics 2020?

Christian Taylor put up dominant performances in the triple jump event of the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He clinched gold in both games and had his eyes set on the Tokyo Olympics too. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury forced him to miss out on a third Olympic Games appearance.

On May 19, 2021, two months before the Games, Taylor attended a meet in Ostrava, Czechia, where he took four jumps and sustained a horizontal and vertical tear in his right Achilles. Recalling the incident, Taylor said in a recent interview with NBC,

"When I went on the medical table, the doctor was like, 'I'm sorry, but there's not going to be any Tokyo for you,'" Christian Taylor said.

Following the incident, he underwent surgery and was looking to recover in time and compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"With all the success and joy this sport has given me and all the experiences I've had, it just shouldn't end that way, right?" he added.

However, unfortunately for Christian Taylor, he couldn't make it to the Paris Olympics after finishing 10th in the triple jump at the US Olympics Trials.