Athletics: Record consumed Taylor
but still belongs to Edwards
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 [July 19, 2019]
(Reuters) - Four years ago,
Jonathan Edwards' triple jump world record seemed sure to go.
American Christian Taylor had just come within eight centimeters of
the Briton's 1995 mark of 18.29 meters.
But the record has yet to fall and seldom is breaking it mentioned
these days, even by Olympic and world champion Taylor.
"I try not to speak about it is because at some point I felt that it
was consuming me," the gold medalist told Reuters.
"Every time I competed the only thing I cared about was this world
record.
"Whether someone was beating me I had no idea, because all I was
focusing on was this world record.
"I tried so hard to chase it and dial everything in and break down
the jump and jump like him or add my twist, and it didn't happen."
Eventually something had to give.
"It's insanity to continue doing something over and other and
expecting something different," Taylor said.
So the American, who has four of the 10 longest triple jumps ever
and ranks second to compatriot Will Claye's leap of 18.14m on the
2019 list, has decided to take a new approach.
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Christian Taylor of the U.S. in action during the men's triple jump
REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/File Photo
"I'm going to compete my heart out, and if the stars are aligned
that magic number will come," he said.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Ed
Osmond)
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