New Zealand’s rising triple jump talent Ethan Olivier has won gold in Lima, Peru at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
Olivier leapt to victory with a distance of 17.01 to equal his NZ Triple Jump record and his Oceania U20 record.
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“I’m very happy, I put in two weeks of hard work after coming back from the Olympics. I’m glad it paid off, I equalled my PB today so I’m very happy,"
"I had supreme confidence I was going to win today…I was here to get a medal and I wanted to make sure that it was gold," said the Paris Olympian.
In Lima, he entered the competition as the number one ranked athlete with a best over half a metre clear of the rest of the field. The only challenge of the day came in the form of a third round attempt of 16.74 PB from eventual silver medallist, Karson Gordon from the United States.
“I took a far more relaxed approach to the U20 championships… I think I put a bit too much pressure on myself in Paris, so taking a more relaxed approach here has worked in my favour massively”
This victory in Lima is Olivier’s second appearance at the World U20 Championships, where he finished in 4th in 2022. “I was just happy to be there in 2022”
Based in South Africa Ethan is coached by his father, Wikus, a former Commonwealth Games triple jump representative for South Africa. Olivier notes his father’s triple jump prowess as a motivating factor for him gravitating towards the event
“My father’s success in triple jump was also a motivator and I strived to be as good as he was.”
It is New Zealand’s first male gold at the World U20 Championships since shot putter Jacko Gill’s 2012 gold.
Gill was sixth at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Maddi Wesche, the 2024 Olympic Shot Put silver medallist won the World U20 Championships in 2018.
Olivier will now look to relax and take some time off before starting his off season training towards the 2025 season.
“I hope to jump the world jumps standard (17.22m) during the New Zealand domestic season… I’ll be focusing all my prep towards Tokyo 2025”