Family, friends and fans gathered around the sandpit at James Pressly Stadium as former Gator Christian Taylor achieved his final triple jump of an undoubtedly illustrious career.
“When I looked down and saw all those bodies at the end of the pit, it just felt like I was jumping into a cloud of love,” Taylor said.
The American Track League hosted the Holloway Pro Classic showcase at UF July 19. The event featured some of the biggest names in track and field, including former Gator Olympians Jasmine Moore and Anna Hall.
Athletes competed in multiple events including the 100 meters, 800 meters, 400-meter hurdle and long jump with Taylor solely participating in one event. He recorded 16.14 meters in his final leap for a fifth-place unforgettable finish.
“This was the greatest jump I believe of my career,” he said.
The two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion announced his final appearance before retirement on the official Instagram page of the American Track League.
Taylor returned to his college track where he left impressive accomplishments for the Florida program. In 2009, he was awarded the SEC Indoor Male Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, and in 2010 and 2011, he claimed back-to-back NCAA Indoor Championships and consecutive outdoor titles.
“I am very emotional [about Taylor],” said UF track and field head coach Mike Holloway. “Christian is not only a world-class athlete, he is a world-class person.”
Under Holloway’s coaching, Taylor went on to earn the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Male Indoor South Region Field Athlete of the Year in each of his three collegiate seasons.
But his legacy on the track extends well beyond the accolades Taylor received in his time at UF.
The former Gator made a dominant appearance at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games where he clinched gold twice. Taylor was seeking to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but his third consecutive appearance at the Games failed to come to fruition after a torn right Achilles twice in May 2021.
Prior to Taylor’s injury at the 2015 Beijing World Championships, he leaped a distance of 18.21 meters, just eight centimeters short of Jonathan Edwards’ world record of 18.29 meters.
Florida Gator physical therapist Scott Greenberg said despite having a difficult injury, Taylor showed incredible resilience and mental toughness while pushing forward.
“You’re not going to find a harder worker, somebody more dedicated to his craft — a more humble human being than him,” Greenberg said.
After Achilles surgery and rehabilitation, he was determined to keep his dream alive of breaking the triple jump world record in Paris this summer. However, Taylor was eliminated during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials when he finished 10th overall.
Taylor’s family showed support at the meet with matching shirts of the former Gator in action. His sister Kaitlyn Taylor said emotions were high to see her brother’s career come full circle.
“This is a surreal moment — but very exciting for this new chapter for him,” she said. “I feel like he is leaving on a very positive note.”
Being a competitive athlete required many sacrifices to reach his goals, so Taylor looks forward to spending quality time with family and friends, he said.
“To feel so much love in this moment — it’s something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life,” Taylor said.
Contact Hailey Hurst at hhurst@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haileyjhurst.
Hailey Hurst is a second-year journalism major with a focus in sports media and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and cheering for Miami sports teams.
