 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | (1977-10-01)October 1, 1977 (age 48)[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Track and field |
Dwight Phillips (born October 1, 1977) is an American formerathlete and a four-timeworld champion in thelong jump. He was the2004 Olympic champion in the event. His personal best of 8.74 meters, set in 2009, makes him the joint fifth best jumper of all time.[2]
Phillips has also competed in the60 and100-meter dashes. His personal record for the 100 m is 10.06 seconds and his time of 6.47 seconds over 60 m ranks among the top twenty fastest ever.[3]
He is a now a track and field ambassador atSPIRE Institute and Academy.[4] He will be joining the others such asElizabeth Beisel andCaeleb Dressel representing the school. The goal of the partnership with SPIRE and the ambassadors is to emphasize the development of peak performance in athletics, academics, character and life.[5][6]
Phillips was a promisingsprinter in his early days, but concentrated on thetriple jump while atUniversity of Kentucky, before switching to the long jump after moving toArizona State University in 2000. He competed at2000 Sydney Olympics and finished eighth in the long jump with a jump of 8.06 m. He was the best American performer in the event. At his firstWorld Championships he again finished eighth, after sustaining a hamstring tear.
He came to prominence in 2003, when he won both theIAAF indoor and outdoorWorld Championships. The indoor championship event was a close contest, with Phillips only beatingSpain'sYago Lamela by a centimeter. He won the outdoor title with a winning margin of four centimeters overJames Beckford ofJamaica.[7][8]
In the run up to the2004 Athens Olympics, Phillips was ranked number one in the world, and he won thegold medal by a margin of 12 cm over his compatriotJohn Moffitt. His winning jump of 8.59 meters was the fourth biggest in Olympic history, afterBob Beamon (1968) andCarl Lewis (1988, 1992).[9][10]
His success continued at the next two World Championships, taking the gold medal at the2005 Helsinki event, and winningbronze inOsaka two years later.[11][12]
Phillips finished fourth in the long jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials, meaning he would not compete at the Beijing Olympics and would not defend his Olympic title.
On June 7, 2009, Phillips won the long jump at thePrefontaine Classic with a personal-best third jump of 8.74 m, defeating 2008 Olympic gold medalistIrving Saladino.[13] A jump that put Phillips in theall-time performers top 10, despite a 1.2 metres/second headwind. He won the US Championships later that month, giving him another chance to reach the podium at the World Championships.[14]
At the2009 World Athletics Championships, inBerlin, Phillips won the gold in the long jump with a jump of 8.54 m.[15] He repeated the feat inDaegu in 2011 with a leap of 8.45 m. During the championships in Daegu, Phillips was assigned the bib number 1111. After winning, Phillips proudly pointed to the number appropriate for finishing first in four championships.[16]
A car accident just before the start of the 2012 outdoor season left him with back and neck injuries.[17] Further to this, an Achilles tendon injury recurred and instead of preparing for the2012 London Olympics, Phillips opted to undergo surgery to prolong his career.[18]
At the 2013 World AthleticsChampionships, inMoscow, Phillips placed 11th in the long jump with a jump of 7.88 m and announced this was his last competition and retirement.[19][20]
In 2018, Phillips was inducted into theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame.[21]
In September 2020,SPIRE Institute and Academy signed Phillips to become an international track and field ambassador.[4]
Phillips is currently CEO and partner atEpiq.tv. Phillips is also the founder of The winners circles.[22]
Phillips son,Dwight, is arunning back for theGeorgia Bulldogs.
| Event | Best | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long jump | 8.74 m | Eugene, Oregon, United States | June 7, 2009 |
| Long jump (indoor) | 8.29 m | Birmingham, United Kingdom | March 15, 2003 |
| Triple jump | 16.41 m | Boise, Idaho, United States | June 5, 1999 |
| 50 meters | 5.70 s | Liévin, France | February 26, 2005 |
| 60 meters | 6.47 s | Madrid, Spain | February 24, 2005 |
| 100 meters | 10.06 s | Athens, Georgia, United States | May 9, 2009 |
| 200 meters | 20.68 s | Tempe, Arizona, United States | March 30, 2002 |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the United States | ||||
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney | 8th | 8.06 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 8th | 7.92 m |
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, England | 1st | 8.29 m |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 8.32 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 1st | ||
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 1st | 8.59 m |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2nd | 8.26 m | |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 8.60 m |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 1st | ||
| 2006 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 6th | |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 3rd | 8.30 m |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 8.54 m |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 1st | 8.45 m |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 11th | 7.88 m |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's long jump best year performance 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's long jump best year performance 2009 | Succeeded by Incumbent |
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