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Monday, 25 September, 2000, 22:26 GMT 23:26 UK
Is Edwards in a field of his own?
Jonathan Edwards won Olympic gold for Britain in the triple jump with a magnificent performance in Sydney.
He is undoubtedly out on his own in his discipline, but can he now lay claim to be one of the finest field athletes of all time?
He is now Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder - but how do his brilliant achievements compare with the likes of long jumper Bob Beamon, pole vault legend Sergei Bubka and javelin star Jan Zelezny?
Congratulations Jonathan! This is an amazing achievement and I feel so proud even though I don't actually know you! I am old enough to remember 'Lyn The Leap' Davies (in the days when this event was called 'Hop-Step-and Jump!) and I think he should now be nick-named 'Jon the Jump'. Well done and good luck for the future.
Jonathan Edwards, as you said, is World Record holder, World Champion and Olympic Champion. I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a tournament he's entered when he hasn't won a medal. If he isn't one of the greats, he's pretty damn close!
The true test of any athlete is to come out on top when you don't feel you're at your best. Jon said in his own way that it didn't really click. 17.71 isn't bad for not really clicking! Imagine what would have happened if it had? A very gutsy performance and well done to the new boys on the block too!
John Pope, UK
A great win, but it does not compare with Bob Beamon's landmark achievement nor with Daley Thompsons' gold medal triumphs. If Jonathan were to repeat this performance, breaking the world record at the same time, then I would say he could be considered as one of the greats of all times; at the moment just a wonderful athlete who I am proud to acclaim as a fellow citizen and Olympic champion.
I am most impressed by your achievements and moreso by your bold declaration of your faith, in a world quick to deny the true source of inspiration - God!
I watched Jonathon at the Olympic stadium and he is a legend. He was so humble after his victory, and came and celebrated with us. Well done Jonathan.
As a young athlete living in Gateshead I watched Jonathan compete in the Norwich Union Classic at Gateshead Stadium on my 12th birthday, he took the time and trouble to send me an autograph at what was obviously a very busy time preparing for Sydney. He is a true gentleman and an inspiration to all up and coming young athletes in the North East of England. Well done Jonathan!
Christopher Campbell, England
It was thrilling to see Jonathan finally where he belongs, on top of the gold medal podium. Congratulations! Your talent, dedication and your deep and public faith are an inspiration to many of your fans worldwide.
Jonathan is simply the best role model for any aspiring athlete. He is a truly genuine guy, who uses his God-given talent to the best of his ability. He deserves all the plaudits for his achievements. He is certainly one of Britain's best!
Just wanted to say well done. I live in Sweden so British news is not so good, but I will admit to running around telling everyone about your gold and for that matter all the others who have made us proud of our home country.
Well done you deserve it!
Wow! What are finish. Congrats, Jonathan Edwards. BBC had a section on their site inviting viewers about which athlete would shine at the Olympics. Some people will not believe this. I also saw Jonathan being interviewed in Sydney at the same time and I had this strong sense that he was going to win. So I wrote on the site something like this," Watch out world, Jonathan Edwards is coming in leaps and bounds and he will shine like the sun." What a prophetic ending.
Ultimately, it would have made little difference whether you won the gold medal or not-because we know that is not going to spoil you.
So, well done again. Now hang up those spikes, prop your feet up and let Mrs. Edwards spoil you rotten. But keep running that race which matters.
Jonathan is the proof that nice guys do finish first once in a while. Triple jump will probably never hold the public's imagination the way some other field sports do - but we know he's the best there's ever been and will remember him as such. We still remember Lynn The Leap, don't we, so why should we forget Jon the Jump?
Andrea McCulloch, U.K.
It was fantastic to hear that Jonathan had finally won the Olympic Gold. To have missed out last time when everyone expected him to win, with such good grace, and to still keep trying is the mark of a truly great Olympian. Listening to him describe the support he feels he has back home almost brought me to tears as it sums up exactly how I feel. Well done Jonathan.
It is great to see a true sportsman, and a Christian win through. Well done Jonathan.
I love the way he doesn't hide his Christian convictions or his personal struggles - he has real integrity and is just one of the greatest athletes ever.
I think Jonathan Edwards really deserves this gold medal. He has always been a hero of mine, and he has lived up to exactly what the British fans expected of him. I am sure his family feel very proud to know that Jonathan achieved this not only for himself, but for his country. Well done.
Zanne Lyttle, Scotland
He is definitely one of the greats. Perhaps the only thing he lacks is consistency, but when he is on, there isn't (and has never been) anyone to touch him.
It is good to see someone so pleasant and unaffected enjoy such success - especially since he had to compete in such trying personal circumstances.
Jonathan Edwards is an athlete that Britain can be justifiably very proud of. He appears to be an unassumiing and quiet man. I hope he now gets the recognition he deserves. Well done Jonathan, your gold medal is truly well deserved.
It's been a long time since we saw you in our physics classes in 1987! I don't think I ever thought that you could make classical mechanics so interesting. I have followed your progress with joy over the past few years (like just about everybody else, I suspect). Congratulations on this fantastic achievement, it proves that nice guys really can win! Best wishes and prayers for the future; whatever it holds for you. Enjoy the experience - you earned it.
Martin Delap, Jersey, Channel Islands
My congratulations to Jonathan Edwards on his magnificent triumph in the Triple Jump. Jonathan, well done, and keep up the testimony for all the Christian sportsmen and women around the world who have been praying for you.
He has not always performed at his best when it matters but it is a diffcult discipline and he has the world record, which shows little sign of being toppled for the foreseeable future, to go with an olympic gold. Well done.
A great result for British sport from a true competitor. One of the best. Athletics is producing stars who our children should be looking up to and appreciating their dedication.
Jonathan Edwards has truly made his country proud. With the likes of Jonathan, Denise, Steve and all the other hard working athletes in the British team, it is certainly going to bring home to the younger generations that they can achieve this level through determination, hard work and self belief. Well done!
Jonathan Edwards is one of Britain's few complete athletes. His achievements are something that most athletes only dream about. The triple jump may not be the most well known event, but his record speaks for itself. He certainly deserves to be ranked amongst the world's great sportsmen.
His jumping achievements are worthy of credit on their own, but for the man to also be aware of the needs of people around him, puts a whole new perspective on Athletes being focused. Well done Jonathon Edwards.
I think he's the finest triple jumper the world has ever seen. However, I hear him in interviews and it sounds like he's uncomfortable with such a tag. I think in a sense he needs to have a kind of arrogance to believe in himself. At the end of the day look at Athletes such as Mauruce Greene and Michael Johnson: they are outwardly very arrogant with a soft side underneath when they win. Perhaps British athletes are too modest, but then again that is their trade mark unlike their American counterparts.
He's done us all proud, and he is a true champion. If you can't quite compare him with the likes of Bubka (he hasn't completely dominated the sport to that extent) it's largely been due to injuries.
A model professional who exemplifies what a olympian should be, brilliant but humble, a lesson to our footballers!
John Dodds, UK
What a fantastic performance! This man is a great guy and has put all past dissapointments behind him and struck gold! This shows a true fighting spirit, and a champion's attitude! Well done!
Along with many other British Athletes at the Sydney Games, Jonathan embodies all that is best in Olympic tradition and spirit. A modest and committed sportsman, who acknowledges his family's support at every opportunity, Jonathan has earned his place as a great Olympian. It's wonderful to see his endeavours earn agold medal. Well done.
Congratulations to Jonathan Edwards, a true ambassador for British sport. I hope your success can inspire a new generation of olympians.
Great jumping under pressure. Surely he's put to bed the "choking" allegations now. With Jonathan, Denise, Steve, Katharine and Kelly I'm so proud I could burst! Also, great Olympic starts by Larry and Phillips - real medal hopes for the future.
Jonathan is indeed in a field of his own - and not just in his event. Has anyone noticed that his predictions for Gold were entirely correct. Although we might deplore the intemperate language used on the website (he was quoted off the record he says), he was correct in saying our swimmers would not win a single medal, right too in saying that he and Denise Lewis were our best hopes for a medal, and right in saying Colin Jackson wouldn't win the 100 metres hurdles. So well done Jonathan, not just for being the best at the Olympics, but the best at punditry too!
Anthony Abdool, GB
As a former triple jumper, all I can say is that no other jumper in the world has the technique or elegance of J. Edwards. Definitely the greatest triple jumper of all time.
What a fantastic achievement, is there anything else to win or achieve in the sport. It turns out his comment about the swimmers was true and to back that up with a gold was superb. I am truly thrilled.
Well done Jonathan. Those many years of hard work and dedication have paid off. Not only are you a gold medal winner, but a great Olympian also.
I shows that even after a major set back/dissappointment (as in Atlanta), with enough hard work and talent it is still possible to achieve that olympic dream. Hopefully this will spur on other athletes.
Paul Parry, GB
Well done to Johnathan Edwards! At long last, British sports fans have something to be really proud about. However, it certainly seems that one of the biggest problems that Mr. Edwards, and many of our British athletes have had to suggle with in recent years is the huge amount of pressure placed upon them by our media, fuelled by an overcritical public. Hopefully, in the future, the British public will be able to show their support by helping to fund and promote new athletics schools in Britain, encouraging youngsters to become involved, rather than over-hyping our existing talent.
Well done and congratulations from everyone at the Department of Epidemiology, St Mary's Hospital,
Jonathan Edwards is definitely up there with the likes of Bubka and Zelezny. He took the Triple Jump to a new level and has been far more consistent at the top level than any other triple jumper in history. That's something we all forgot when he missed out in Atlanta and other championships. Only greats like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson can claim better records but at the end of the day what does it matter? They are all tremendous athletes.
Ray Brown, England
Finally a deserved gold for Jonathan Edwards, surely one of the finest ambassadors for British Sport. That he should overcome a family tragedy, and still produce the best jump in the world this year speaks volumes. Many congratulations.
This is fantastic news for Jonathan. Having just read his biography - this makes a wonderful final chapter.
Jonathan Edwards is the best triple jumper in the world today. His gold merely confirmed what all of us had known since his amazing feat in Gothenburg five years ago.
Do I hear cries of a new year OBE?
Surely the sign of a true great is that in their time they were the undisputed best at their event and took their event on to a new level. Edwards has done that as have Beaman, Bubka, Johnson and so on. To me that makes him a true great. The fact that he has done all this with dignity, humility, respect for his rivals and without any doubts over drug use, just adds to his greatness.
John Harrop, UK
It is so good to see Jonathon Edwards get a gold medal. A fantastic achievement under what must by very difficult circumsatnces for him. But it's even more encouraging to hear him admit that there are other things in his life, far more important than triple-jumping. He is an all round good guy, who knows what is really important in his life.
Congratulations to Jonathan! As an avid fan of the British Olympic team I just want to say how thrilling it has been to see this group of Olympians achieve such a high degree of success and glory in these games. I remember hearing about Jonathan several years ago and I watched him compete in Atlanta. Mr. Edwards is truly one of my favourite athletes of all time and I wish him continued success!
Jonathan Edwards single-handedly positively promotes the best side of British athletics. From being a devoted father, loving husband, Christian and world record holder to now Olympic champion, Jonathan projects an amazing humbleness which only a few will grasp. This year, by overcoming the adversity of injury and recent family bereavement, to winning, is a feat that surpasses our human expectations. However, his talents, drive and belief in an event not normally dominated by Brits, is an inspiration to us all.
Mark Hicks, USA
Well for somebody who has done it at every level and has to his name the longest triple jump distance ever recorded at his age sould be given a Knighthood. He is a wonderful athlete.
Just a quick note to congratulate you on your gold medal. I have been dashing to and from the staff room to try and find out the results. Congratulations - the UK are proud of you.
He's matured late but is unquestionably the greatest triple-jumper the world has seen to date. He's also so humble and down to earth. Well done, Jonathan!
25 Sep 00 | Athletics-Field
Edwards makes golden leap
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