Jonathan Edwards

Biography

The finest triple jumper of all time, Jonathan Edwards is the former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World Champion - and remains the current world record holder. He was an ambassador for the London Olympics bid before becoming a key member of the Organising Committee.

Jonathan’s Olympic career began with a silver medal at Atlanta. He went on to scoop gold at Sydney, after jumping a world record 18.29m at the World Championships in Gothenburg. He made the record books again when he added Commonwealth gold to his collection, becoming one of only four athletes in the world who have held all four major titles at one time. His world record has stood for over 20 years.

After a career spanning fifteen years, and accolades including BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Jonathan retired from competitive athletics and turned his attention to broadcasting where he has become a regular presenter and commentator, working for multiple broadcasters including the BBC as part of the BBC’s Rio Olympic Games coverage. He also sat on the content board of Ofcom, the watchdog that rules on decency and fairness in the media.

In his presentation, Jonathan describes the pressures of competition and the battle to live up to his and others’ expectations in the most important sporting contest on earth.