Jumping Back to the Top Spot

Published by the IAAF on May 26, 2014

London 2012 Olympic Games and 2011 IAAF World Championships triple jump gold medallist Christian Taylor is aiming to defend his Diamond Race title in 2014.

However, the versatile athlete will also be long jumping in international competitions and also ran the third leg on the victorious US 4x400m team at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in Nassau at the weekend

However, we caught up with him before he departed for The Bahamas and he offered his take on our work, rest and play questions.

CHRISTIAN AT WORK

What are your three favourite things about being an athlete?

Christian Taylor: One, being in shape. Even when I speak to my parents they remind me how lucky I am to be paid to keep in shape. Secondly, we get to travel the world. Many of my friends back in the US don’t even have a passport, so for me to spend time training in South Africa and living in England is a great privilege. The third thing would be the people I meet; not only the athletes, but the sponsor representatives, the meet organisers, all the people I meet on a daily basis.

What is your favourite training session?

CT: It would either be the 3x350m with six minutes rest or the two minute drill for triple jump. The two minute drill would be a five metre run, followed by a hop, step and jump and as soon as you land in the pit I would then sprint back to the start and repeat. I would try and do as many of these as possible in two minutes. It is great way of focusing on technique when you are fatigued. It is a session which really helps me during the fifth and sixth rounds of competitions.

What is your least favourite training session?

CT: I don’t really enjoy the short sprints. My coach, Rana Reider, enjoys a 10m, 20m, 30m and 40m sprint session. It really wears me out. I still don’t understand how I can run 250m and feel more comfortable doing that than the shorter stuff. I guess I don’t have that quick recovery.

Who is your favourite all-time training partner?

CT: I would say Dwight Phillips (four-time IAAF World Championships long jump champion). This was a guy with all the medals and all the accolades, but training with him every day was a real learning curve. He would always impart a useful piece of advice like: “In five years’ time, you’ll appreciate doing those extra stretches.” Things like that.