Learn more about the high jumper who secured his first world medal and made the move to Texas to study and compete in the NCAA.

Sitting down after his first day at university in Texas, Otis Poole sums up his new life in America simply: “It feels like I’m being treated like an elite athlete.”

It’s a fitting way to describe the whirlwind journey the 19-year-old has been on. After a busy and breakthrough season, Poole arrived in the Lone Star State fresh from the biggest achievement of his young career: a bronze medal in the high jump at the World U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, clearing 2.21m to equal the personal best he set at the English Schools Championships earlier this summer.

Gold was the target, and Poole admits his immediate reaction was one of disappointment at coming so close to the top step. But his bronze was significant nonetheless, ending a 30-year wait for a British medal in the men’s high jump at the World U20 Championships.

Just five days after returning home from Oregon, Poole was back on a plane to the USA, this time to begin his collegiate career at Texas A&M University, where he will study business alongside competing at the highest level of NCAA athletics.

It’s a remarkable rise for an athlete who only took up the sport four years ago. Since then, Poole has rapidly established himself among Britain’s leading young high jumpers. In 2025, he became British indoor champion with a 2.20m clearance before adding European U20 silver to his collection later that year.

Have you processed claiming world bronze yet?

I was annoyed at the start because of how close I was to winning. It sunk in what I missed out on and then, as time has passed, it's now trying to be appreciative of how far I actually came to get that medal. 

How did you get into athletics?

I think it was 2022. I did school sports day and it was in a room with wooden floors. You'd get about two steps on to a random crash mat and I think I even missed the mat but I broke the school record, 1.62m. After that I got told to come along and try out athletics at a club.

I went there and I didn't really enjoy it at first, but I think that's just because it's a new environment. But then there was someone that I knew who I'd done martial arts with from age five and it gave me that motivation to stay because you have a friend to get along with.

I worked my way up with Mark Gale, the dad of Olympic high jumper Tom Gale and then he passed me on to Joy Bray. I went from 2.07m to 2.20m within one season because it was a really different training switch.

What was the thought process behind moving your life over to America?

It was a no-brainer because, when I was getting recruited, British high jumping wasn't the best at the time and I really wanted to go over and have this top-level competition. I wanted to be that small fish again.

British high jump has now obviously turned up a level, but it's the same few people that we'll see at every competition. You don't get the nerves any more because you're almost friends with everyone from the British scene. You want to be against these new names.

Texas A&M was the perfect fit for me when I was doing my visits. It had the right mix of perfect facilities, plus the training partner was the perfect fit for me. That was what I was most picky about because most schools would either have someone that's too old that was going to graduate or too many people. 

Texas had one guy who's a few months older than me but in the year above and he jumps higher than me – his PB is 2.24m. I really wanted to have someone that I could work off and fight my way to being better than. 

What do you make of the current state of men’s British high jumping?

I would say, from heights alone, we are probably now one of the best countries in the world.

You can see that from British Champs outdoors. Last year it was won with 2.14m. This year, it took 2.27m to win. I jumped 2.15m and was nowhere near the medals – it’s a whole other level above.

I think it's making everyone do well and that’s obviously really good but it’s always the same few people. In the States, you're going to have more athletes and you're going to have more variety. So it'd be good to see more athletes, but you can't be too greedy when the country is as big as it is. I think we've done pretty well for ourselves.

Who do you look up to?

When I got brought into high jump Tom Gale was the guy I would look up to and he was like a mentor. I could come to him and ask him any questions. It was really good at the start, not just for me but for my parents because they could know from his dad the process and how you would manage different things. I think their family as a collective was a really big help to my family and we still get on to this day. 

Tom was an inspiration, but since last season he’s come back [to competition] and as soon as I'm against him, he's not an inspiration anymore. He's a competitor. 

If you could go back to yourself when you first started this journey, what would you tell yourself?

I would just say just keep doing what you want to do. With high jump, it’s not exactly football or rugby and people at school don't know how it works. People don't think it's normal, but I think I've been quite good to just do what I want to do. 

Age: 18

Club: Yate & District Athletic Club

Coach: Joy Bray

Event: High jump

PB: 2.21m