Django Lovett (born 6 July 1992) is a Canadian male track and field athlete who competes in the high jump. He was the bronze medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, setting a personal best of .B.C.'s Django Lovett wins bronze in Commonwealth Games high jump. The Canadian Press (11 April 2018). Retrieved 11 April 2018. Lovett represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Life and career
Born in Surrey, British Columbia to Catherine and John Lovett, he initially played soccer before moving into the high jump, following comments by his school soccer coach that he was too slow for the sport. Lovett had success at a young age in high jump, breaking the Canadian youth record and receiving the honour of Canadian Youth Athlete of the Year in 2009. He attended Brookswood Secondary School before heading south of the border to study Arts and communications at the University of New Mexico.Django Lovett. Go Lobos. Retrieved on 11 April 2018.
He made his international debut at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics, taking a bronze medal. He later competed in qualifying at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics and was fifth at the 2012 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics.Django Lovett. IAAF. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
He competed athletically for the New Mexico Lobos team and qualified for the NCAA Championships on several occasions. He represented Canada at the 2013 Summer Universiade, though he did not progress beyond the qualifying round. He was top of the podium at the Canada Summer Games that year.Django Lovett. CG2013. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
Lovett's progress plateaued after the age of seventeen: from a best of in 2009, he had added only six centimetres to that by 2015. Clearances of in the 2017 outdoor season then in the 2018 indoor season saw him edge towards the elite level of the sport.
In the leadup to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Lovett hit the Olympic qualifying standard in his third and final attempt at 2.33 metres at the Canadian Olympic track and field trials, beating Michael Mason for the Canadian title in the process. He was thus named to the Canadian Olympic team. Competing at the Olympic high jump event, he jumped 2.30 metres to finish in eighth place.
International competitions 2009World Youth ChampionshipsBrixen, Italy3rdHigh jump2.17 m2010World Junior ChampionshipsMoncton, Canada24th (q)High jump2.10 m2012NACAC U23 ChampionshipsIrapuato, Mexico5thHigh jump2.10 m2013UniversiadeKazan, Russia15th (q)High jump2.15 m2018Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia3rdHigh jump2.30 mNACAC ChampionshipsToronto, Canada3rdHigh jump2.28 m2019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar23rd (q)High jump2.22 m2021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan8thHigh jump2.30 m2022World ChampionshipsEugene, United States6thHigh jump2.27 mNACAC ChampionshipsFreeport, Bahamas=1stHigh jump2.25 m2023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary27th (q)High jump2.22 m
National titles Canada Summer Games High jump: 2013 (runner-up in 2009)
References
External links