James Beckford (athlete)
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 James Beckford (2012) | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s athletics
| ||
Representing  Jamaica
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1996 Atlanta | Long jump |
World Championships
| ||
|
1995 Gothenburg | Long jump |
|
2003 Paris | Long jump |
World Indoor Championships
| ||
|
2004 Budapest | Long jump |
James Beckford (born 9 January 1975 in
Beckford was educated in the United States and began his athletics career there, specialising in the horizontal jumps. He took the triple jump title at Florida's Class AAAA championship, representing William R. Boone High School. He moved to Texas to study at Blinn College. While there he improved Delroy Poyser's Jamaican record with a jump of 17.29 metres (56 ft 8¾ in) – a mark which was also the world-leading outdoor jump at that point in April 1994.[2]
His personal best of 8.62 m (28 ft 3+1⁄4 in) is currently ranked 15th on the all-time list. Since he made that jump, 5 April 1997 in Orlando, Florida, only 6 men have jumped farther.
He was banned from competition for three months in 1997 after he failed a drug test for ephedrine, a banned stimulant.[3]
He has competed at the World Championships on five occasions and the
He remains active, winning the 2018 World Masters Championships.
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2nd | Long jump | |
| 6th | Triple jump | ||||
| Grand Prix Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 3rd | Long jump | ||
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, Georgia , United States
|
2nd | Long jump | |
| 1997 | World Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 5th | Long jump | |
| World Championships | Athens, Greece | 4th | Long jump | ||
| Universiade | Catania, Italy | 2nd | Long jump | ||
| Grand Prix Final | Fukuoka , Japan
|
2nd | Long jump | ||
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | New York City, United States | 3rd | Long jump | |
| CAC Games | Maracaibo, Venezuela | 2nd | Long jump | ||
| 1999 | World Indoor Championships | Maebashi, Japan | 5th | Long jump | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 14th (qualifiers) | Long jump | |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 7th | Long jump | |
| Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia | 1st | Long jump | ||
| Grand Prix Final | Melbourne, Australia | 4th | Long jump | ||
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, England | 6th (qualifiers) | Long jump | |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | Long jump | ||
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 7th | Long jump | ||
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | Long jump | |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 4th | Long jump | ||
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 5th | Long jump | ||
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 9th | Long jump | |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 3rd | Long jump | ||
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 6th (qualifiers) | Long jump | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 7th | Long jump | ||
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 6th | Long jump | |
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 6th | Long jump |
See also
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
References
- ^ "Beckford triple jump national record turns 25". jamaica-star.com. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Buchalter, Bill (5 April 1994). Beckford Jumps To World Lead. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved on 2010-09-02.
- ^ Longman, Jere (1 August 1997). "I.A.A.F. Reduces Doping Bans". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
