The triple jump is an athletics (track and field) event, previously also known as "hop, step and jump", whose various names describe the actions a competitor takes. The athlete runs down a runway until he reaches a designated mark, from which the jump is measured. The takeoff mark is a board, and in modern championships a strip of plasticine or modeling clay is attached to the board to record athletes overstepping the mark. The first landing has to be done with the takeoff foot. The next phase is a step, landing on the opposite foot, and is followed by the jump, into a sand-filled box, as in the long jump. A "foul" or missed jump occurs when a jumper oversteps the launch mark (most commonly), misses the pit entirely, or does not perform the attempt in the allotted amount of time (usually about one minute).
The triple jump has been included in the modern Olympic Games since its first celebration in 1896. In fact, the first modern Olympic Champion, James Connolly, was a triple jumper, however, the event at this time consisted of two hops and a jump. In 1996, a triple jump event for women was added to the Olympics, having already been included in both the Outdoor World Championships and World Indoor Championships.
The triple jump requires speed, power, rhythm and resilience. However, athletes with limited natural ability can still do well by developing a good technique. If an athlete has reasonable 100m speed (under 12 seconds), and is prepared to complete a training program of weight-training, plyometrics and technical work, she or he might eventually be able to achieve distances in excess of 13 or even 14 metres. In exceptional cases, so long as an athlete has other necessary qualities, lack of blinding speed need not be a barrier to international success. One currently competing British triple jumper (1994 commonwealth champion) is still able to achieve international class distances of 16.50m with 11.5 100m speed.
The current male and female world record holders are Jonathan Edwards of the UK, with a jump of 18.29 metres (Göteborg, August 7, 1995) and Inessa Kravets of Ukraine with a jump of 15.50 metres (Göteborg, August 10, 1995). The men's world indoor record is shared by Aliecer Urrutia of Cuba and Christian Olsson of Sweden with a mark of 17.83 metres. The women's world indoor record measures 15.36 metres, jumped by Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
