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JuVaughn Harrison is the first American man to medal in the high jump at the world championship competition since Jesse Williams won gold in Daegu in 2011.
JuVaughn Harrison has joined the list of Black athletes making history and racking up medals, earning his first in his high jump performance at Tuesday night’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Mutaz Essa Barshim, a three-time reigning world champion from Qatar, and Italian showman Gianmarco Tamberi played a prominent role in the contest. Harrison and Tamberi entertained the crowd before and after each jump, according to TeamUSA News, reaching world-record heights of 2.36 meters (7 feet, 9 inches).
“It was definitely a lot of fun,” Harrison said. “I love great competition, and going up against great competitors pushes you to compete better, and that’s what happened tonight.”
Tamberi ultimately took home the gold as the multi-talented Harrison required two attempts to duplicate his first-try clearance of 2.36 meters, though neither athlete could manage 2.38 meters.
Silver was the first major championship medal for Harrison, 24, who enjoys leaping far in the long jump as much as he likes the high jump. As he discussed the feeling of receiving a medal, he referenced his performance at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
“It means a lot – last year I came ninth and wasn’t able to medal,” Harrison contended. “To be able to come here and battle for first, and ultimately get second, isn’t a bad thing at all.”
In response to questions about how it felt to match the pivotal height while under pressure after Tamberi, 31, cleared 2.36 meters, Harrison said it’s still a memorable moment — and “that’s just how the cookie crumbled.”
Harrison is the first American man to medal in the high jump at the global championship games since Jesse Williams won gold in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011. He established an early lead in the competition by thoroughly clearing his first three heights of 2.25 meters, 2.29 meters and 2.33 meters before his first miss at 2.36 meters.
Tamberi and Barshim, two good friends who finished with the same high jump height at the Olympic Games Tokyo in 2020, both missed their first try at 2.25 meters.
Harrison was in the lead and in front of 11 rivals until Tamberi outjumped him at 2.36 meters. He said he relished being in the spotlight with his Italian opponent despite narrowly losing gold on countback.
As he failed to match Harrison or Tamberi in his three attempts at 2.36 meters, Barshim saw his winning run at the world championship end. His greatest height was 2.33 meters, and he ultimately settled for bronze.
Following their friendly match in Budapest, Tamberi praised Harrison’s effort. The Italian star laughed as he jokingly noted that he still performs better for the audience than his American counterpart.
“JuVaughn [Harrison] is a super athlete, such a great talent as he is improving every year, and it will be tough to beat him at the Olympic Games,” Tamberi said, “but I enjoyed competing against him tonight. He’s a great athlete and a great person too.”
Harrison, who trains in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stated that he still intends to compete in the high jump-long jump double like he did at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 during the summer of 2024 in Paris.
In Japan, the Alabama native placed fifth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump. He is the first person since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to compete in both the long and high jumps at the Olympics.
Harrison contrasted the degrees of thrill he has when participating in the two distinct jumping activities, noting that while he experiences each activity differently, the excitement is the same for both.
“You can’t get the two mixed up – when it comes to the high jump and long jump, one is out and one is up,” Harrison said. “You can’t go too high in the long jump, you have to focus on getting out. The biggest thing is to remember not to go up and go out, and vice-versa.”
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