Christian Taylor makes instant impact in his leap into professional track; still up for The Bowerman
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 | Men's Tennis, Track and Field, Scott Carter
In his three seasons with the Gators, Christian Taylor set numerous school records and helped lead Florida to back-to-back NCAA indoor national titles.
Taylor's professional career appears headed down the same track.
Taylor upset defending triple-jump world champion Phillips Idowu of Britain at the AVIVA London Grand Prix last weekend. Facing Idowu on his home turf, Taylor recorded a personal-best leap of 58 feet in front of a sellout crowd rooting hard for Idowu at the London Crystal Palace.
You can click here to watch Taylor's loud introduction on the professional scene, one that makes him a favorite at the World Championships later this month.
Taylor and UF teammate Will Claye recently turned pro as they prepare for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, leaving quite a legacy at UF in their wake.
“Christian Taylor and Will Claye have signed contracts and are no longer on our roster,'' Gators coach Mike Holloway said. “We wish them the best on their professional careers and are grateful for what they did for our program. We are proud to call them Gators.''
As a junior, Taylor won the triple jump at the NCAA outdoor championships with a record wind-aided leap of 58 feet, 4 ¾ inches, edging Claye in a back-and-forth battle.
In the NCAA indoor championships, Taylor finished second in the triple jump.
Taylor is currently up for The Bowerman, considered the Heisman Trophy of collegiate track & field. Fan voting for The Bowerman runs through Aug. 16, so you still have time to help Taylor add another milestone to his college career.
As of Tuesday night, Taylor (7,144 votes) was third behind Washington State's Jeshua Anderson (9,056) and Florida State's Ngoni Makusha (8,769) in the fan voting results posted on TheBowerman.org.
