Famous Black Long Jump Athletes

A dominant sprinter and long jumper, Carl Lewis has won ten Olympic medals, nine of them gold. From 1981 to 1991, he topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events, slowly starting to lose his dominance thereafter, eventually retiring in 1997. Currently a businessperson, he has also appeared in films and television productions.

The first to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered by many as one of the greatest female athletes ever. While in school, she excelled in sports such as volleyball, basketball, and track, and also did well in studies. She later won three Olympic golds medals.

Bob Beamon is a former American track and field athlete who won the gold medal for the long jump at the 1968 Olympics. He created a world record in the process of winning the gold medal; the record was broken by Mike Powell almost 23 years later. Beamon was inducted into United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Khaddi Sagnia is a Swedish athlete who specializes in the long jump. She competed in the first Youth Olympic Games where she won a gold medal in the triple jump. She also took part in the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships where she won a bronze medal in the long jump final.

Former track and field athlete Fiona May initially represented the UK and then Italy in long jump. She has two Olympic silver medals to her credit and is a three-time World Champion. Her daughter, Larissa Iapichino, too is an athlete, who specializes in hurdles and long jump.