Teddy Tamgho (born 15 June 1989) is a French triple jumper. He is the former triple jump world indoor record holder, achieved in winning the final and gold medal at the 2011 European Indoor Championships. He is the world's sixth best ever triple jumper outdoors, with his best mark of 18.04 metres achieved in winning the final and gold medal at the 2013 World Championships.
Tamgho's first triple jump gold medal came at the 2008 World Junior Championships and he reached the triple jump final (where he finished in 11th position) of the World Championships the following year. He came to prominence by setting his first triple jump world indoor record of 17.90 m in winning the triple jump final and gold medal at the 2010 World Indoor Championships. He was the triple jump overall winner of the 2010 IAAF Diamond League and the triple jump bronze medallist at the 2010 European Championships. Tamgho missed the 2012 London Olympics because of an operation on his right ankle.
Tamgho also mentors fellow French triple jumper Rouguy Diallo, who won the gold medal at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Eugene, Oregon.
Career
2007–2009: Early part of his career Born in Paris, France, Teddy Tamgho became interested in athletics as a young boy growing up in the commune of Sevran. He began representing Dynamic Aulnay Club in triple jump competitions from the age of 13.Tamgho, un record né à Aulnay . RMC Sport (2010-03-15). Retrieved on 2010-06-13. His first international championships appearance came at the 2007 European Junior Championships and he just missed out on the podium, taking fourth, but still managed a personal best jump of 16.35 m.Results – Triple Jump Men 2007 European Juniors. European Athletics (2007-07-20). Retrieved on 2010-06-13. At the end of 2007, in Eaubonne, he set a new national junior record of 16.53 m. He registered a mark of 16.94 metres to win his first French National Indoor Championships senior triple jump title on 16 February 2008 in Bordeaux — a jump which made him the second best junior triple jumper indoors of all time internationally, just behind Volker Mai. Tamgho stated that his run-up speed was his strong point and that his success was a result of working with his coach, Jean-Hervé Stievenart, and training partners Karl Taillepierre and Benjamin Compaoré.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2008-02-17). Junior Tamgho threatens 17m barrier, Arron over Hurtis-Houairi – French Indoor champs Day two. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-13.
Going into the 2008 outdoor season, Tamgho achieved the Olympic qualifying mark (17.10 m) but the tailwind of 2.1 m/s was slightly too strong to make his jump valid. He did not manage to achieve the requisite mark in time for the Olympic team selection and it was Colomba Fofana who took the only men's triple jump berth in the 2008 French Olympic team. Tamgho won the 2008 World Junior Championships gold medal with a jump of 17.33 m in the final, but the mark was wind-aided (2.1 m/s), just outside the legal limit of 2.0 m/s. Tamgho was the only athlete to clear the 17m mark in that final, and he did it thrice.Arcoleo, Laura (2008-07-12). Tamgho and Lemaitre make it a historical day for France. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-13. He failed to repeat his form at the French national outdoor championships, and was fourth in 16.79 m—far behind the event winner Jules Lechanga.Championnats de France Elite. Athlé (2008-07-24). Retrieved on 2010-07-13.
Coached by Jean-Hervé Stievenart and Laurence Bily, Tamgho started the 2009 indoor season with notable improvements, beating his 16.94 m (set on 16 February 2008) indoor personal best three times consecutively in Mondeville on 1 February (the best jump was 17.37 m).Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-02-01). World Junior champion Teddy Tamgho triple jumps to 17.37m. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-13. He improved even further in mid February at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy indoor meeting in Paris with a jump of 17.58 m (he had a foul jump near the 17.80 m mark) — a new under-23 world record and just one centimetre short of the French national indoor record set by Pierre Camara in 1993 in Toronto.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-02-14). Hooker's momentum continues while Tamgho impresses in Paris. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-13. He then jumped 17.44 m to claim his second senior national indoor triple jump title at the 2009 French National Indoor Championships in Liévin. Tamgho had been competing in recent weeks with an injury, however, and he used the two weeks leading to the 2009 European Indoor Championships in Turin as recovery time.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-02-21). Tamgho triples 17.44m in Liévin – French champs Day 1. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. At those championships he opened with a jump of 15.94m but fouled his remaining two jumps, and was thus eliminated in the qualification round despite being one of the favourites of the triple jump event.European Indoors 2009 – Triple Jump Men Results. European Athletics (2009-03-06). Retrieved on 2010-06-14.European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's Field Events Preview . European Athletics (2009-03-04). Retrieved on 2010-06-14.
At the start of the 2009 outdoor season he lined up against the 2008 Olympics silver medallist Phillips Idowu at the Meeting Areva in Paris. While Idowu jumped 17.17 m to earn victory, Tamgho was well below his top form and jumped 16.97 m to take fifth place.2009 Meeting Areva Triple Jump Men . IAAF (2009-07-17). Retrieved on 2010-06-14. He confirmed himself as the nation's top triple jumper in July 2009 by winning his first French National Outdoor Championships (held in Angers) senior triple jump title with a jump of 17.11 m (which was his best jump of the year). That was enough to earn him qualification for the upcoming World Championships in Berlin.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-07-26). Mesnil over Lavillenie, Baala returns with 1500m win – French Champs. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. At the 2009 World Championships in August, Tamgho qualified for the final with a jump of 17.11 m in the qualification round.Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-16). Event Report – Men's triple jump – Qualification . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-18. However, he did not improve in the final. He could only finish the final in eleventh position, with only one legal jump in the final (16.79 m).Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-18). Event Report – Men's Triple Jump – Final . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-19.
2010–2013: Major international championships gold medals and world records
After finishing as runner-up to Colomba Fofana in the triple jump senior category at the French National Indoor Championships in February 2010 with a jump of 17.01 m,Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2010-03-01). Djhone breaks 18-year-old 400m national record, 8.24m world lead for Sdiri in Paris – French Indoor Champs. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. Tamgho turned his attention on the global stage. At the 2010 World Indoor Championships, he took an early lead in the triple jump final with a jump of 17.41 m, but Yoandri Betanzos surprised him with a 17.69 m personal best in the first round. Tamgho initially thought a lesser jump would have been enough to secure the title, but following the Cuban's jump he said "I had to react and give it all". After a couple of fouls and two more jumps past the 17-metre mark, Tamgho had one final jump left to overhaul Betanzos. On his last attempt, he jumped seven centimetres clear of the existing indoor world record mark (jointly held by Aliecer Urrutia and Christian Olsson) to set a new world indoor record of 17.90 m and break Pierre Camara's 17-year-old national indoor record of 17.59m.Jalava, Mirko (2010-03-14). Doha 2010 – Tamgho triples to 17.90 World Indoor record! – UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. He said he thought his previous season had been flawed, but that he had now grown stronger and matured, following advice from fellow competitors Jadel Gregório and Phillips Idowu to take part in competitions in a calmer manner.Dacoury, Laurence (2010-03-20). Tamgho ‘calms down and does things properly’. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14.
Tamgho's good form continued into the 2010 outdoor season. He recorded a series of five jumps over 17 metres at the French National Interclub Championships, highlighted by a world leading jump of 17.63 m (and a new French national record), on 23 May in Franconville.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2010-05-25). World leading 17.63 for Tamgho – 10.03PB for Lemaitre – French Club Champs report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. He had a wind-assisted jump of 17.63 m two weeks later in Montreuil.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2010-06-09). Tamgho reconfirms top form in Montreuil with 17.63w. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14. On 12 June 2010, he took part in the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City, his first IAAF Diamond League event. In that event, he jumped 17.60 m in the third round, and improved by a centimetre in the next jump before setting a personal best of 17.84 m to take the lead. Having already secured victory, he pushed even further with his final attempt to jump 17.98 m, making himself the third best triple jumper outdoors on the all-time list behind Jonathan Edwards and Kenny Harrison. Just three days before his 21st birthday, Tamgho had achieved the longest triple jump outdoors for over a decade.Tamgho's terrific Triple tops in New York – REPORT – IAAF Diamond League. IAAF (2010-06-12). Retrieved on 2010-06-14. He won the 2010 French National Outdoor Championships senior triple jump title for the second time, but had to contend with a right calf cramp en route to victory. He was ruled out of the Paris Diamond League meeting due to injury. He had not jumped in training in the buildup to the 2010 European Championships, but he still managed to clear 17.45 m to take the bronze medal, his first medal at the competition. Wins at the DN Galan and Memorial Van Damme triple jump events made him the inaugural 2010 IAAF Diamond League triple jump overall winner. He announced a change of coach at the end of the season, starting work with four-time long jump world champion Iván Pedroso.French prodigy Tamgho comes of age . European Athletics (2010-10-01). Retrieved on 2010-10-02. He was recognised as the 2010 European Athletics Rising Star of the Year for his breakthrough year.France’s Tamgho voted men's Rising Star of the Year . European Athletics (2010-09-29). Retrieved on 2010-10-02.
Tamgho started 2011 in similarly strong form as he improved his world indoor record by a centimetre to win the French National Indoor Championships senior triple jump title for the third time with a jump of 17.91m.Tamgho triples to 17.91m World indoor record in Aubiere. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-20. He improved his world indoor record one centimetre further at the 2011 European Indoor Championships, clearing 17.92 m in the triple jump final on both the second and fourth jumps, to take the gold medal with a new world indoor record in front of the home crowd at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris. The day before the triple jump final, Tamgho had narrowly failed to win the bronze medal in the long jump event of the 2011 European Indoor Championships. He finished the long jump final in 4th position, jumping only 2 cm less than the bronze medallist Morten Jensen.Ramsak, Bob (2011-03-06). Tamgho twice (!) triples 17.92m World record in Paris as European Indoor Champs conclude. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-07.