Derek Drouin won the high jump gold medal Tuesday in Rio. The Canadian cleared 2.38 meters, or 7’9”. Just how high is that? Here’s who he could have jumped over:
Drouin, 26, born in Sarnia, Ontario, was Canada’s sole athletics medalist at London 2012, when he won bronze after clearing 2.29 meters.
That moment of glory in London came only months after he had needed surgery on ligament and bone injuries and brought Canada its first Olympic high jump medal since 1976.
But the 6’4” Drouin – whose performance in Rio brought Canada a third gold and a 14th overall medal of the Games – narrowly failed in an attempt to clear 2.40 and break the Olympic record of 2.39 set by American Charles Austin at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
He achieved the 2.40 mark in Canadian competition two years ago, becoming one of only 12 men in high jump history ever to reach that height.
Drouin began his involvement in athletics at the age of nine, switching from running to high jump at the age of 15 after being inspired by his sister’s enjoyment of the sport.
And he told CBC: “It was certainly a really stressful lead up. Four months ago, probably less, I was told I shouldn’t keep jumping this season.
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“But obviously I made some good decisions, it was some stressful times, and it felt like at that point I had nothing to lose and was able to approach the last couple of months pretty much stress-free.”
The first Canadian male to win gold at the Rio Games, Drouin also became the first Canadian to win gold in the high jump since Duncan McNaughton did so at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932.