Derek Drouin
Des Moines 2014)[4] 2017) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Derek Drouin (born March 6, 1990) is a Canadian track and field athlete who competes in the high jump. He won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and was the 2015 World Champion.[5] He also won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Pan American Games, and won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships. Drouin was originally awarded the bronze at the 2012 Olympics which was retroactively changed to silver when the original gold medalist Ivan Ukhov was stripped of his medal for doping violations.
Drouin's personal best jump of 2.40 m (7 ft 10+1⁄4 in), set in 2014, is the
Career
Drouin first learned to high jump in kindergarten in
He competed in the
2013 World Championships
The
One month after the Worlds, Drouin won his first major international title at the 7th edition of the Francophone Games held in Nice, France on Saturday September 14, 2013. Three men cleared 2.30m in the high jump, but victory went to Drouin as he went over on his first attempt, while France's Mickaël Hanany and Romania's 2009 Francophone Games champion Mihai Donisan needed three attempts each at that height.[16]
As a result of his record-breaking season, Drouin won three major awards from Athletics Canada. He was awarded the Jack W. Davies Trophy as outstanding athlete of the year, plus the F.N.A. Rowell Trophy as athlete of the year in field events, and the Cal D. Bricker Memorial Trophy for outstanding performance of the year.[17]
2014
Building on his new breakthroughs, the following outdoor season saw Drouin reach new heights when he bettered his Canadian record jumping 2.40 at the 2014
Drouin went to the
2015 Pan Am and world champion
The 2015 came with two big events for Drouin, the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto followed by the 2015 World Championships in Athletics a few weeks later. In his hometown Pan Am Games in Toronto, Drouin won gold with teammate Mason again grabbing silver in a duplicate result from the Commonwealth Games. After the win Drouin said "My last two meets were season bests also, so I was carrying in some confidence. I knew that being in Toronto and being in front of the crowd like this would be great, so I'm glad I didn't let that go to waste. Canada winning gold and silver, it can't get much better than that. Non-verbally, because I didn't want to jinx it, I was hoping Mike and I would be the top two spots."[21]
At the 2015 World Championships in Athletics Drouin found himself in the finals in a four-way jumpoff after they all cleared 2.33 m but could not make 2.36 m. Drouin managed to make the 2.34 m on his first try while his opponents all faltered, thus securing his world title. After winning he said, "It's funny because a few months ago I was just so frustrated with the season. I went about a month and a half without clearing 2.30m, playing with a new approach and trying to peak at the end of the season. I got to the point where I just wanted the season to be done and forget about world championships. Luckily, I was patient and things finally worked out and things clicked and when they clicked they really clicked. I felt like I was in a really good place coming into here."[22]
2016 Olympic gold
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Drouin jumped a season best height of 2.38 metres to win the gold medal, defeating Barshim and Bondarenko.[23] Drouin cleared every height on his first attempt, until he missed at 2.40 while going for the Olympic record. It was the second medal won by a Canadian male athlete, the first gold medal for a Canadian male, and Canada's third gold medal overall during the Rio de Janeiro games. Drouin was the first Canadian to win a gold medal in a field sport since Duncan McNaughton, who also won the high jump at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[24] Of the historic gold, Drouin said, "We've had a pretty good tradition in high jump, so myself and my teammates are just trying to keep re-writing it. It doesn't matter that I was world champion coming in today. In my eyes, everyone was on even playing ground right from the start. The pressure that maybe other people felt for me I certainly wasn't internalizing."[23]
Drouin is noted for a slightly different technique than most of his contemporary opponents.[8] His approach involves him going slower and bounding toward the bar rather than running at it with pace as his opponents do. This allows him to keep his plant leg stiff, if the leg bends he'll lose the energy he needs in his leg for the jump.[8] Drouin commented on the technique to The New York Times saying, "You see, jumpers try to run as fast as they can, and then they put their foot down and their leg isn't able to handle it. So they just end up blowing through the bar."[8]
Post-Rio
Following the 2016 Rio Olympics, Drouin began training for
Personal life
Drouin was born in Sarnia, Ontario, to Sheila (née Teschke) and Gaetan Drouin.[28] He grew up in Corunna, Ontario, a small community in the St. Clair Township. He has two sisters, Jillian and Alysha.[9] Jillian is also an international competitor for Canada in the heptathlon, competing at the World Youth Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Pan American Games.[29]
Honours
In 2012, Drouin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.[30]
National titles
- Canadian Track and Field Championships
- High jump: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
- NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships
- High jump: 2010, 2013
- NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships
- High jump: 2010, 2011, 2013
Personal bests
- Outdoor high jump: 2.40m, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, Apr. 25, 2014
- Indoor high jump: 2.35m, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, Mar. 9, 2013
- World Heptathlon Best (indoors): Heptathlon high jump, 2.30m (1091 points), Geneva, Ohio, USA, Feb. 22, 2013[31]
- World Decathlon Best: Decathlon high jump, 2.28m (1071 points), Santa Barbara, California, USA, Apr. 7, 2017[32]
International competitions
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing Canada | |||||
2007 | World Youth Championships | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 10th | 2.04 | |
2008 | Commonwealth Youth Games | Pune, India | 3rd | 2.09 | |
2009 | Pan American Junior Championships | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago | 1st | 2.27 | |
2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | 2.29 | |
2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 3rd | 2.38 NR | |
Francophonie Games | Nice, France | 1st | 2.30 | ||
2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | 1st | 2.31 | |
IAAF Continental Cup | Marrakesh, Morocco | 3rd | 2.31 | ||
2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 1st | 2.37 | |
World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 2.34 | ||
2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 2.38 |
References
- ^ "Drouin and Seaman break Canadian Records & latest Results from Around the Track & Field". Athletics Canada. March 28, 2011. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ a b "Derek DROUIN". olympicchannel.com. Olympic Channel Services. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Derek Drouin profile". Indiana University. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ "Derek Drouin Profile". IAAF. Archived from the original on September 12, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
- ^ "Olympics-Athletics-Canada's Drouin leaps to gold in men's high jump". Om Riyadat. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ "Drouin's latest feat belongs in history, marks golden age of event". The Sarnia Observer. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Mashoka Maimona (July 2, 2012). "Drouin leaps to Olympic berth". Sarnia Observer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Nick Murray (August 17, 2016). "Derek Drouin's gold-medal technique may revolutionize high jumping". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ a b "Olympic profile". Canadian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
- ^ a b c Tony Care (August 7, 2012). "Canada's Derek Drouin earns high jump bronze". CBC. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- CBS Interactive. June 26, 2013. Archived from the originalon September 13, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- ^ Josh Aldrick (July 2, 2012). "Mason qualifies for Olympics in high jump". Calgary Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Drouin Takes Third at Herculis Monaco". Indiana University. July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
- ^ Jeff Simmons (August 7, 2012). "Drouin Wins Bronze in Men's High Jump". CTV. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin wins bronze at worlds". CBC Sports. August 15, 2013. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ IAAF News, 14 September 2013, "Report: Nice, France – Drouin Gets First Major International Title at Francophone Games".
- ^ "Derek Drouin honoured by Athletics Canada". CBC Sports. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "Derek Drouin sets Canadian, meet high jump record at Drake Relays". Winnipeg Free Press. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ "Canadian Derek Drouin wins high jump at Commonwealth Games". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "Derek Drouin wins Commonwealth high jump". CBC Sports. July 30, 2014. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ "Drouin's high jump gold highlights Canadian track and field medal haul". Toronto Star. July 25, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- ^ Paul Gains (August 30, 2015). "Derek Drouin puts Canada on top of high jump podium". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "Derek Drouin wins gold in Olympic high jump". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ "World champion Drouin delivers Olympic high jump gold at Rio 2016". www.olympic.ca. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Lori Ewing (February 7, 2017). "Olympic high jump champ Derek Drouin adding decathlon to repertoire". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "EasyWare Meet Results". Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
- ^ "Canada's Derek Drouin pulls out of worlds with injury". CBC Sports. August 5, 2017. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ "Obituary: TESCHKE Douglas Rudolph". Sarnia Observer. May 29, 2007. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ "Jillian Drouin aims to be brother's teammate". July 15, 2014. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ "Olympic and Paralympic athletes to receive Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal". Official Canadian Olympic Team Website | Team Canada | 2016 Olympic Games. December 19, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Bisson, Shaun (December 20, 2013). "2013: A year in Sarnia sports". The Sarnia Observer. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ "2017 Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational – Men's High Jump Results". phototiming.com. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
External links
- Derek Drouin at World Athletics
- Derek Drouin at Athletics Canada
- Derek Drouin at Team Canada
- Derek Drouin at Olympics.com
- Derek Drouin at Olympic.org (archived)
- Derek Drouin at Olympedia
- Derek Drouin at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Derek Drouin at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games(archived)