Curtis Thompson surpassed the 270-foot plateau for the fourth straight meet Tuesday when he placed 3rd Tueaday in the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Luzern, Switzerland.

Thompson, a Florence High School graduate, hit 271-10 on his third attempt and finished behind 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago [276-7] and Patriks Gailums of Latvia [273-5].

Here’s a look at Thompson’s last four meets:

270-3 – Aug. 6, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów
276-4 – Aug. 20, NACAC Championships, Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Freeport
274-11 – Aug. 26 Athletissima, Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne
271-10 – Aug. 30, Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland

Before last month, Thompson had thrown 270 feet just twice – at the 2016 Olympic Trials and the 2021 Olympic Trials. He’s now hit 270 feet six times since July 4.

Thompson opened with a 262-3 and a foul before his 271-10. He followed that with a 266-2 and a 262-3 before fouling on his 6th and final attempt.

The 271-10 throw is the 6th-best of his life.

Thompson, a two-time U.S. champ and 2021 Olympian, is ranked No. 8 in the world this year and No. 1 among Americans with his lifetime-best 287-9 throw at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg last month. He’s also No. 3 in U.S. history.

Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s lifetime 260-foot throws:
287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
266-2 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
262-3 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022

Curtis Thompson reached the podium in the javelin Friday at the Athletissima Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the 3rd-best throw of his life.

Thompson threw 274-11 and placed third behind 2021 Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India (292-3) and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic (281-9).

The 2014 Florence High School graduate, a 2021 Olympian and two-time U.S. champion, popped the 274-11 on his first attempt. His next-best throw was a 264-0 on his 5th attempt.

Thompson, No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-9 at the American JavFest last month, has now thrown 273 feet or better four times in his life – all in the last seven weeks. And 16 of his 21-best throws have been this season.

Thompson finished about a foot and a half ahead of Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion from Trinidad and Tobago. He was 4th at 273-6.

Athletissima, one of the biggest track meets in the world, is held annually inside the sold-out La Pontaise Olympic Stadium in Lausanne, a historic village on the southern tip of Switzerland along Lake Geneva, which separates Switzerland from France.

Thompson also placed 3rd in his previous Diamond League meet – at Chorzów, Poland, on Aug. 6. He now has 12 Diamond League qualifying points, which ranks him 5^th with only one Diamond League meet left before the finals at the Weltklasse at Letzigrund in Zürich Sept. 7-8. The top six compete in Zurich.

Thompson is No. 8 in the world this year, No. 1 among American men and No. 50 in world history.

Here’s a look at Thompson’s 24 throws of at least 260 feet:

287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022
274-11 ¾ … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022

One of the biggest track meets in the world is the Athletissima – the Diamond League meet Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland. And South Jersey will be well represented.

Three South Jersey athletes are headed for Lausanne, where the 11th of 13 Diamond League meets is scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m. EST – that’s 6:10 p.m. Central European Summer Time.

Lausanne is a spectacular, historic village in the mountainous southern tip of Switzerland across Lake Geneva from eastern France.

And Florence’s Curtis Thompson, Pleasantville’s Nia Ali and Delsea’s Josh Awotunde will all be at Stade olympique de la Pontaise to compete against some of the best athletes in the world. The 15,850-capacity stadium is sold out.

The full schedule of events is listed here.

Let’s take a look!

CURTIS THOMPSON: Thompson, a 2014 Florence High School graduate and 2021 Olympian, thought his season was over after he won the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas Friday with a 276-4, the second-best throw of his life and his fourth 270-foot throw since June after hitting 270 just twice in his life previously (at the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Trials).

This will be his second Diamond League meet. He placed third earlier this month in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland, with a 270-3.

Thompson is No. 8 in the world this year, No. 1 among American men, No. 50 in world history and No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-9 at the American JavFest at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) South High School last month.

The javelin field also includes 2021 Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic. The full javelin field is listed here.

The javelin is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Lausanne, which is 1:30 p.m. EST.

JOSH AWOTUNDE: Awotunde, a 2013 Delsea graduate, continues his breakout season with his second Diamond League appearance of his life and of this month.

Awotunde has competed twice since his monster 3rd-place finish at the World Championships. He placed 3rd with a throw of 70-0 ½ at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland – his Diamond League debut – and also 69-9 ¾ at the Gyulai István Memorial in the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.

At Worlds, Awotunde won the bronze medal behind American teammates Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs and recorded the three-best throws of his life – 72-10 ¾, 72-11 ½ and 73-1 ½.

Awotunde has actually only competed in five meets this outdoort season after placing 5th in indoor worlds in Belgrade, Serbia, in March.

The Franklinville native is No. 4 in the world this year, No. 3 American, No. 18 in world history and No. 11 on the U.S. all-time list.

Also in the shot put field Friday are two-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Crouser and two-time World Champion and world all-time No. 4 Kovacs – Awotunde’s teammates when the U.S. swept the shot at Worlds – and the New Zealand duo of all-time world No. 6 and 2016 world indoor champion Tom Walsh and two-time Olympic two-10 placer Jacko Gill. The full field is listed here.

The men’s shot put is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Lausanne, which is 3 p.m. here.

NIA ALI: Ali, a 2006 Pleasantville graduate and the 2016 Olympic 100-meter hurdles silver medalist and 2019 World Champion, has raced in two Diamond League meets this year, running 12.76 at Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland, and 12.60 at Gyulai István Memorial in the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.

Ali’s fastest time this year was her 12.49 in the semifinals of the World Championships. Later that day she was unable to finish in the final.

Ali is No. 12 in the world this year and No. 5 American. She’s No. 12 in world history with her 12.34 to win the 2019 World Championships at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, and No. 4 all-time among U.S. women.

Also in the field are Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who set the world record of 12.12 at the World Championships earlier this month in Eugene, former world record holder Kendra Harrison, who ran 12.20 in London in 2016, 2021 Olympic gold medalist and all-time world No. 5 Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Jamaican Britney Anderson, all-time world No. 9 with her 12.31 last month in the semis at worlds. The full hurdles field is here.

The women’s 100-meter hurdles is scheduled for 9:23 p.m. Friday, which is 3:23 p.m. EST.

Jessica Woodard finished her brilliant 2022 season with a 2nd-place finish in the shot put at the NACAC Championships Sunday.

Woodard, a Cherokee graduate, had three throws over 60 feet, including a 61-8 ¾ at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships at Freeport Stadium in Grand Bahamas.

Woodard placed second behind Canadian Olympian Sarah Mitton, who won the event with a throw of 66-1 ¼.

Woodard had throws of 60-3, 61-5 ¼ and 61-8 ¾. She’s now thrown over 60 feet 30 times since first surpassing the barrier in the 2017 Big 12 Championships at the University of Kansas.

Her 61-8 ¾ is her 5th-best throw ever, and the 61-5 ¼ is her 10th-best throw ever. The only other time she threw 61-5 or better twice in the same meet was the USATF Championships in Eugene in June, when she PR’d at 63-7 ¾ and also had two throws at 61-7 ¾.

Thirteen of Woodard’s 16-best throws came this year. She finishes 2022 ranked 11th in the world and No. 3 among American women and No. 14 on the all-time U.S. list.

Here’s a look at every one of Woodard’s 60-foot throws:

63-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
62-7 … World Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 15, 2022
62-3 ¾ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
61-10 ¼ … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
61-8 ¾ … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
61-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
61-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
61-7 … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022
61-6 ½ … Ed Murphey Classic, Memphis, Tenn., July 30, 2022
61-5 ¼ … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
61-4¼i … U.S. Indoor Championships, Spokane, Wash., Feb. 26, 2022
61-3½ … NCAA Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 7, 2018
61-3 … World Championships [final], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 16, 2022
61-1 ¼ … World Championships [final], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 16, 2022
60-10i … U.S. Indoor Championships, Spokane, Wash., Feb. 26, 2022
60-10 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2022
60-9½ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-7¼ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-7½i … Don Kirby Elite, Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center, Feb. 12, 2022
60-5¾ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
60-4¾ … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
60-4 … Goteborg Grand Prix, Goteborg, Sweden, Aug. 16, 2019
60-3¼ … U.S. Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, June 24, 2021
60-3 … Big 12 Championships, Lawrence, Kans., May 13, 2017
60-3 … Ed Murphey Classic, Memphis, Tenn., July 30, 2022
60-1¼ … Chula Vista High Performance #3, Elite Training Stadium, Chula Vista, Calif., May 2, 2021
60-½ … Chula Vista High Performance #1, Elite Training Stadium, Chula Vista, Calif., April 3, 2021
60-4½ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022
60-3 … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
60-0 ½ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 19, 2022

Florence’s Curtis Thompson finished his remarkable 2022 season with a meet record and the 2nd-best throw of his life Saturday at the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas.

Thompson threw 276-4 on his 3rd attempt to win the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships at Freeport Stadium in Grand Bahamas.

His only better throw was his 287-9 at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg, Pa., last month. That’s No. 3 in U.S. history.

Thompson, a two-time U.S. champion and 2021 Olympian, has now thrown 270 or better six times, and four of those six throws have come in the last six weeks.

Thompson’s next-best throw was a 260-1 on his first attempt, but the 276-4 was good enough to edge 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago, who threw 275-4 on his first attempt.

The previous NACAC meet record was 261-3 set in Toronto in 2018 by Thompson’s former Mississippi State teammate, Anderson Peters of Grenada, the two-time world champion and all-time world No. 5.

CURTIS THOMPSON ALL-TIME 260-FOOT THROWS
287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022

In his first meet since he made the podium at the World Championships, Delsea’s Josh Awotunde placed 3rd Saturday in a Diamond League meet in Poland.

Awotunde threw 70-0 ½ at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational at Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland.

It was his 20th lifetime 70-foot throw, all since May 9 of last year.

Awotunde popped the three-best throws of his life to earn the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships last month in Eugene, including a 73-1 ½ on his 5th throw that is the No. 18 throw in world history.

On Saturday, Awotunde finished 3rd behind Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. [71-5 ¾] and two-time Olympic medalist Tom Walsh of New Zealand [71-2 ¼].

ALL-TIME 70-FOOT THROWS
73-1 ½ … World Athletics Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [5th throw, 3rd place]
72-11 ½ … World Athletics Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [1st throw, —]
72-10 ¾ … World Athletics Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [6th throw, —]
72-2 … Meeting Città di Padova, Stadio Colbachini, Padovad, Poland, Sept. 5, 2021 [series info NA, 1st place]
71-8 … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 18, 2021 [6th throw, 5th place]
71-2 ¼i … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [3rd throw, 5th place]
71-2 ¼ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [4th throw, 3rd place]
71-2 ¼ … World Athletics Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [3rd throw, —]
71-1 ½ … Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021 [6th throw, 2nd place]
70-11 ¾ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [5th throw, 5th place]
70-11 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [5th throw, 2nd place]
70-10 ¾ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [4th throw, —]
70-7 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., June 24, 2022 [3rd throw, 2nd place]
70-6 ½ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [6th throw, —]
70-6 ¼i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [3rd throw, 1st place]
70-3 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [3rd throw, —]
70-2 ½i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [1st throw, —]
70-0 ½ … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Chorzów, Poland [Aug. 7, 2022 [5th throw, 3rd place]
70-0 ¼ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [2nd throw, —]
70-0 ¼ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [2nd throw, —]

In his Diamond League debut, Curtis Thompson popped the 5th-best throw of his life and placed 3rd in the javelin in a meet in Poland.

Thompson threw 270-3 at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational at Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland.

Despite 32 hours of travel to reach southern Poland, rainy conditions conditions and a borrowed javelin, Thompson surpassed 270 feet, which he had only done in three previous meets.

Thompson set his PR of 287-9 – No. 3 in U.S. history – and also threw 273-4 at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg, last month, and hit 271-11 at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Eugene and 271-7 at last year’s Olympic Trials in Eugene. The full list of all his lifetime 260-foot throws is below.

This was Thompson’s first meet since he placed 11th at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene last month.

With conditions getting worse, nobody had their best throw of the competition on their 5th or 6th throw. Thompson followed his 270-3 on his 2nd attempt with a 261-6 on his 3rd. This was the 4th meet of Thompson’s career that he’s surpassed 260 feet twice in the same series. Three of those have been this year.

Three-time Olympian and 2021 silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the meet with a throw of 284-4 and Germany’s Julian Weber, an Olympian in 2016, was 2nd at 278-8.

CURTIS THOMPSON ALL-TIME 260-FOOT THROWS
287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016

Highland graduate Floyd Whitaker turned in a monster performance in the triple jump final at the World Under-20 Championships in South America, with his first four lifetime jumps over 51 feet, his first-ever 52-foot jump and a 5th-place finish against the best young triple jumpers in the world.

What an incredible performance for the Clemonton native!!!!!

Whitaker, who entered the meet seeded 14th, moved up from 7th to 5th on his final jump with a massive lifetime-best 52-6 ¼ with a legal 0.1 meters-per-second tailwind.

He was the top American at World U20s and his 52-6 1/4 is the best jump this year by an American who doesn’t turn 20 this year.

He moved up to No. 25 on the overall U.S. 2022 performance list!

Whitaker, who recently finished his freshman year at the University of Minnesota, had set an outdoor PR of 50-11 ¾ in Thursday’s trials. That means he recorded the five-best legal outdoor jumps of his life in a 30-hour span in Colombia.

Whitaker’s overall PR coming into the meet was a 51-5 ¼ from a meet in January in Minneapolis.

He shattered that by more than a foot Friday evening at Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.

Whitaker fouled on his first jump but went 51-2 on his next attempt for his first PR of the day and second of the competition. He followed that with a 51-2 ¾ and, after a subpar jump on his 4th attempt, hit 51-0 ½ on his 5th before popping the 52-6 ¼.

His wind-legal outdoor PR before Thursday was 50-2 ¼ from the NCAA West Regional Preliminary Meet in Fayetteville in May. He surpassed that once Thursday and four times Friday.

Whitaker qualified for Worlds with a 2nd-place finish at the USATF Under-20 Championships in June in Eugene, Ore., where he jumped a wind-aided 50-4 ¼.

Whitaker’s jump makes him No. 2 in Minnesota history, behind the 30-year-old school record of 53-1 set by two-time British Virgin Islands Olympian Keita Cline at the 1992 Caribbean National Junior Track and Field Championships at Nassau, Bahamas.

Highland’s Floyd Whitaker jumped an outdoor PR 50-11 ¾ and qualified for the triple jump finals at the World Under-20 Championships in South America Thursday.

Whitaker, who just finished his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota, came into the meet seeded 14th but he was the 10th-best qualifier on Thursday at Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.

Whitaker’s previous wind-legal outdoor PR was a 50-2 ¼ at the NCAA West Preliminary Round meet at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Ark., on May 27. He had a wind-aided 51-2 when he placed 5th in the final of the triple jump at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis in May.

Whitaker’s lifetime legal PR is a 51-5 ¼ from an indoor meet at the Minnesota Fieldhouse on Jan. 29, so he was only 5 ½ inches off that mark in Thursday’s qualifying.

Going into his 3rd and final attempt Thursday, Whitaker was out of qualifying range, but he leap-frogged six competitors on his final jump.

Whitaker opened with jumps of 49-5 ½ and 49-6 ½, and he needed a minimum of 50-2 ¼ to advance to the finals. He responded with the best outdoor jump of his life.

The final is scheduled for 7:55 p.m. Friday.

Click HERE for the *.pdf with comprehensive results including series information.