Triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards claimed that he doesn’t think it’s a good thing that his record has stood for 30 years, explaining that it doesn’t suggest “a really healthy and thriving sport”.
Olympic gold medalist Edwards set a world record of 18.29m three decades ago at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, and the 59-year-old remains Britain's only track and field world record holder in regularly contested events.
But he said that the fact his record still stands is not “a good sign for athletics” before questioning the state of the sport, with 2025 world leader Andy Diaz jumping 17.80m in March.
“When you think of all the developments in sports science, nutrition, training methods, all of those things, I don't think it necessarily speaks to a really healthy and thriving sport, if I'm honest," Edwards told BBC Sport.
“I don't think it's a good sign for athletics as a sport that you have a record that stands for 30 years,” he added.
Edwards questioned the professional development of athletics, saying it has not “kept pace” with other sports and “doesn't offer the same rewards”, leading to young athletes choosing different fields.
“If you're a talented young kid, you wouldn't necessarily pick track and field. You wouldn't certainly pick a field event where the rewards are less than on the track,” said Edwards.
Both investment and participation in athletics have been falling in recent years, and while the stars of the most popular events – such as the 100m and 200m races – stand to earn more through sponsorships and events such as Grand Slam Track, those same rewards are not available to most field athletes, even Olympic champions.
This lack of “professionalisation” of the sport is a reason why Edwards thinks his record has stood for so long, with only three individual records – for long jump, high jump and hammer throw – standing for longer.
The closest attempt to his record was a distance of 18.21m set by the USA’s Christian Taylor in Beijing in 2015, though of the top 10 distances five of them were set in the last decade and two belong to Edwards, with the Briton having originally set a new record of 18.16m in Gothenburg before adding another 13cm around 20 minutes later.
And when asked how he would feel if his record did get beaten, Edwards admitted that “it would be nice if it carried on”.
"It's been a part of me for so long now. It would be quite a good funeral [if there was] something down the aisle - 18.29m,” he explained.
