Christian Taylor, the American triple-jump athlete who claimed gold at the London and Rio Olympics, will not be able to compete in this year’s Games as he tore his Achilles tendon while participating in Ostrava.
The 30-year-old Taylor, originally from Atlanta, trains at the British Athletics’ facility in Loughborough. He is a four-time world champion in triple jump and has secured two Olympic victories. Unfortunately, just a few months shy of the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, he suffered the injury during the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.
Austrian hurdler Beate Schrott, Taylor’s current partner, shared the news on Instagram the next day. “I struggled to find the right words, but I am at a loss. Christian tore his Achilles during the Ostrava competition yesterday. It’s devastating. Truly,” she expressed.
Schrott mentioned that Taylor underwent surgery for the injury, although specific details were not provided. Taylor’s coach, Rana Reider, informed Reuters that the surgery went smoothly but it is unlikely Taylor will make a return to competing this year.
The Tokyo Olympics are set to kick off on July 23rd.
