Records

The first time I jumped the magical 2.30. My mum, dad and sister came to watch and I beat my good friend and fellow high jumper Mark Boswell. I will never forget the moment I stood on the podium and as I was given my gold medal. I raised my head, five jet fighters screeched in the sky and I felt like I was in a Rocky film!

Coming on the back of Palma de Mallorca, my confidence was immense. I felt I’d already won the medal before the event started – I just went to pick it up. In the final, I clearly remember wanting my competitors to jump higher because I knew it would make me go higher too. Once I’d won, I was annoyed they hadn’t jumped higher. It was my day of days.

One of the best crowds I have witnessed, with 80,000 people in a goldfish bowl stadium all clapping and cheering for me. The intensity of the atmosphere stood my hair on end. Whilst waiting to jump, I became aware of this great feeling which brought tears to my eyes. Nevertheless I’m a professional and ran up to the bar. I cleared 2.28 behind fellow Brit and former coach Doltan Grant. I was annoyed I didn’t win, but when I saw how much it meant to Doltan, and the tears that came to his face, I knew that silver on that day was the best medal for me.

First European Cup for Great Britian. One of the scariest competitions of my life – the only reason I was jumping was because Steve Smith and Doltan Grant were injured. I was the third choice. The team was the who’s who of British athletics at the time, with Roger Black, Colin Jackson, Iwan Thomas, Linford Christie and little ol’ me! I was the weak link! Still, I embraced, came second against Russian Olympic champion and we won the cup! A great day!

The first time I jumped 2.28 was with my former club, Belgrave Harriers. It was just before the problems in the former Yugoslavia and tensions were high. The crowd was so patriotic towards their Olympic high jumper and world junior joint record holder, Drogodin Toppick, that every time I went to jump I was booed and had all sorts of abuse hurled at me. I was scared for my life. We ended up having a jump off: he would clear and then I would clear, he would knock off and then I would knock off, to the point where I only lost through lack of physical strength. My friend Toppick said afterwards, “It’s a good job I won, or I might have had to help escort you out the stadium myself!”

I didn’t know how historic this day would prove to be. Having come back from hard times and injuries, I was in good shape and ready to take on the best of Europe. However, I soon realized the best of Europe were ready to take on me too! Twelve athletes jumped 2.30 to make the final, one of the first times this has ever happened. My first time clearing 2.27 was unfortunately not enough to make the final. The next day, Olympic Swedish high jumper Steven Holm jumped an amazing 2.40. Second was 2.32 and ironically 2.30 got the bronze. A great example of the importance of strength and endurance.

This was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had high jumping! An indoor competition set to music, with a small crowd of few thousand upstairs in a gym. My good friend Savatslav Ton from the Czech Republic and I were on fire. Every time my foot went to take off, I flew. The crowd and the music are what make jumping indoors so much fun (music and jumping are two of my passions).

Not my most inspired performance, but wow what a city! My lack of jumping was made up for by the amazing sites, the atmosphere and the warmth of Florence.

What an amazing stadium – the famous Olympic Stadium. The heritage and atmosphere was amazing. The accommodation was in the Olympic village and you had a real feel for the games. Unfortunately the qualification day would have been more suited to the European swimming championships than the high jump and we ended up with a lottery to see who made the final. Sadly I was not in the lottery winners. However, I enjoyed the experience.

My first Olympic games. Wow! 21 years of age, full of confidence and playing a big man’s game. The experience is still with me now, even nine years later. 120,000 people and the world watching. The atmosphere and the event does two things to you: firstly you embrace it, secondly you soil yourself. I think I did both! No other competition is like it, and I look forward to embracing it again in London.