Christian Olsson

Christian Olsson (actually John Christian Bert Olsson, born January 25, 1980 in Gothenburg ) is a former Swedish triple jumper. He was Olympic champion, world champion and twice European champion.

Life

Olsson began his athletics career as a high jumper and was in this discipline in 1999 European Junior Champion at 2.21 m. As a 15 - year-old he saw at the 1995 World Championships in his hometown Gothenburg British triple jumper Jonathan Edwards world record jump with 18.29m, and thus began his love for this jump discipline in which he also European Junior Champion in 1999.

The breakthrough as a triple jumper succeeded him at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, as he jumped for the first time over 17 meters and won the silver medal. At the European Championships in Munich in 2002 he was able for the first time beat his idol Edwards and win the title. At the 2003 World Championships in Paris / Saint- Denis he won superior to gold.

With 17.83 meters he scored a world indoor record he held until 2010 at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest in 2004. In Athens before the 2004 Olympics, he was considered the big favorite to win gold. Olsson was able to meet the expectations and won the competition with his personal best of 17.79 m. Another goal for the season he could realize on September 12, 2004 by thus allowed to share the jackpot with the 400-meter runner Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas won the last Golden League competition at the ISTAF in Berlin. His earnings were $ 500,000.

Due to a foot injury and a necessary operation in March 2005, he was unable to attend the World Championships in Helsinki and thus unable to defend his title. The following year he won the gold medal at the European Championships in 2006 in his hometown Gothenburg. With a length of 17.67 m and a lead of 46 centimeters ahead of second place Olsson defended the sovereign European Championship title.

Due to a muscle injury Olsson said from his start at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and gave up a title defense. 14 May 2012 Olsson, announced after six surgeries and persistent problems with his right foot, his retirement from competitive sport known.

Olsson was voted European Athlete of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He started for the Swedish club Örgryte IS and has been since 1999, trained by Yannick Tregaro. He lives in Monte Carlo since 2002 and was at 1.92 m size a contest weight of about 74 kg.

Personal best

• Triple Jump: 17,79 meters, 22 August, 2004 Athens Hall: 17.83 meters, March 7, 2004 in Budapest

• Hall: 2.28 meters, 9 February 2001 in Gothenburg