The top 10 British jumpers in history
10 Dorothy Tyler
British women high jumpers won silver medals in five successive Olympics between 1936 and 1960 and she was first of these to medal having won them either side of World War Two. She would have won gold in 1936 had the current tie break rules been in common then. Tyler, like fellow medallists Thelma Hopkins and Sheila Lerwill, also set world records at other times. Dorothy Shirley was the last silver medallist in 1960.
9 Sheila Sherwood
A world record denied her long jump gold in the Mexico Olympics and the 1968 silver medallist jumped a 6.73m PB to win the Commonwealth title in 1970. She also won Commonwealth silver in 1966.
8 Steve Smith
Won the 1992 world junior title clearing 2.38m – a height that has only been bettered in one of 30 Olympic finals. That Olympics was 1996, won by Charles Austin’s 2.39m, as Smith took bronze.
The Liverpool Harrier competed at a time of the world’s greatest ever high jumpers and earned world bronze medals both indoors and out in 1993 with 2.37m leaps. He also won European and Commonwealth silvers but injury forced him to retire in his mid-20s.
7 Ashia Hansen
Though she didn’t win any medals in her six global outdoor finals, Hansen won two world indoor golds in 1999 and 2003 (and a silver in 1997). She also set a world indoor record of 15.16m and is easily Britain’s greatest ever women’s triple jumper. She won Commonwealth golds in 1998 and 2002, the European title in 2002 and a European indoor title in 1998, as well as silver in 2002.
6 Keith Connor
The West Indian-born athlete was the triple jump world no.1 in 1982. That year he won European and Commonwealth gold and set a European and Commonwealth record of 17.57m in winning the NCAA title. In the Commonwealth event he jumped the second-longest distance in history – a wind-assisted 17.81m.He retired in 1984 after winning Olympic bronze, having also taken Commonwealth gold in 1978 and set a world indoor record of 17.31m in 1981.
5 Phillips Idowu
Renowned for his striking hair colour, his highlights were a 2009 world outdoor title and a 2008 world indoor gold. He also won Olympic silver in 2008 and a 2009 world silver, 2010 European gold, a Commonwealth gold and silver (2006 and 2002) and a European indoor title in 2007.
4 Greg Rutherford
Famously won the Olympic long jump title in 2012 on Super Saturday and followed that up with the world title in 2015. Having also won Commonwealth gold in 2014 and European gold in 2014 and 2016 he held all four major titles at the same time. He also won Olympic bronze in 2016, as well as silvers in the 2006 Europeans and 2010 Commonwealths.
3 Mary Rand
She became the first British woman to win Olympic gold in the Tokyo long jump in 1964. After a poor 1960 Olympics, when she ended up ninth, she set an Olympic record in qualifying in Japan with 6.52m.
In the final, with a swirling wind and a wet cinder track, she opened with a British record 6.59m, followed by 6.56m, 6.57m and 6.63m before a stunning world record of 6.76m (into a substantial headwind) to end the greatest ever series with 6.61m.
She also won silver in the pentathlon and bronze in the 4x100m in Tokyo, as well as taking a Commonwealth gold and silver and an European bronze.
2 Lynn Davies
Pulled off a surprise Olympic gold in the wind and rain of Tokyo in 1964 as he jumped a then PB of 8.07m. In 1966 the Welshman became the first athlete to hold Olympic, European and Commonwealth titles at any event when he won golds in Kingston and Budapest.
He also won Commonwealth gold in 1970 and European bronze in 1969 and his British record 8.23m in 1968 lasted until 2002.
1 Jonathan Edwards
An easy choice for No.1. The multiple triple jump champion’s greatest moment came at the 1995 World Championships with his 18.29m leap which still stands as a world record. It broke his world record from his first jump at those championships in Sweden – 18.16m.
Edwards also won Olympic gold in 2000 and a silver in 1996, as well as a world title in 2001 and further world medals in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
There was also a Commonwealth title (2002) and two silvers (1990 and 1994), as well European gold and bronze (1998 and 2202). Indoors, he won European gold (1998) and a world silver (2001). He was ranked world No.1 for seven years.
» This article first appeared in the February issue of AW magazine, which you can read here
