Long Jumper Chris Tomlinson represents the most exciting young talent in British athletics today. He proved his world class status in Athens by placing 5th in the Olympics and recording the largest jump in history for a Brit in a major final...
SPORT BIO
From a young age Chris has shown great raw talent at both long and triple jumps and has won eight AAA age group titles. He was English Schools champion at junior boys triple jump in 1996, intermediate boys triple jump in 1997, and senior long jump in 1999.
In 2000 Chris again sparkled at the AAA Indoor Championships when he won the senior long jump with a personal best of 7.57 and won the double at the Juniors. Outdoors he set personal bests for the long jump in winning the AAA U20 title with 7.59, and with 7.62 in the qualifying round at the World Junior Championships.
In 2001 Chris decided to concentrate his efforts on long jumping, a decision which was to prove excellent from the start. Indoors he retained his AAA title and outdoors started with a personal best in April of 7.75. Chris then went on to make his senior International debut at the European Cup in Glasgow jumping a splendid second with 7.67. He continued this good form with 6th in the European U23 in and then produced a sensational 8.19 long jump for 2nd in the ‘A’ International against France, firmly cementing him as one to watch for the future.
Chris first burst on to the senior International scene in April 2002 after leaping 8.27 metres and breaking the British record. The mark he erased was the oldest record in the UK athletics book, 8.23m set by Lynne Davies in 1968 that had proved beyond the reach of generation after generation of British athletes.
In what proved to be a roller coaster season, Chris finished in 6th place at the 2002 Commonwealth games in Manchester, European Championships in Munich and World Cup in Madrid gaining valuable experience in his first full season as a senior International athlete.
Despite starting the 2003 season off with a clear win at the AAA Indoor Championships in February to reaffirm his place as British No 1 and earning himself a place on the GB Team for the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, the year up until the World Championships had been a difficult period of injury and illness for Chris. However, his talent, perseverance and patience enabled him to overcome these obstacles and show his true ability.
Chris also made history at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris by becoming the first British male to ever reach a World Championship long jump final. And he followed this great performance with a memorable year in 2004. As well as his fantastic achievement in Athens, Chris reaffirmed his position as British No. 1 winning the AAA Indoor Championships and followed this be breaking the 15 year British Indoor Record to place 6th in the World Indoor Championships. And all this at only 23 years old. Chris has a very exciting future ahead, and world titles beckon as he now looks forward to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
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