Erik Kynard

Last updated
Erik Kynard
Erik Kynard London 2012.jpg
Erik Kynard, London 2012
Personal information
Born (1991-02-03) February 3, 1991 (age 33)
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight188 lb (85 kg)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Sport Track and field
Event High Jump
College team Kansas State University
Turned pro2013
Coached byCliff Rovelto
Retired2021
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2012 London High jump
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Sopot High jump
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2016 Portland High jump

Erik Kynard Jr. (born February 3, 1991) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the high jump. In his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as a 21-year-old, he won a silver medal in the men's high jump. His silver medal was upgraded to gold in 2021 upon the disqualification of original champion Ivan Ukhov from Russia for doping. [1]

Contents

Kynard was born in 1991, the son of Erik Kynard and Brandynn Adams. He is one of 10 children. [2] He is a 2009 graduate of Rogers High School in Toledo, Ohio, and a graduate of Kansas State University where he trained under Cliff Rovelto. He jumps off his right leg.

At 17 years old, Kynard qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2008 but did not make the team. [2] Kynard was the 2011 and 2012 NCAA outdoor national champion in the high jump. [2]

At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, Kynard made the Olympic team by placing second behind Jamie Nieto with a height of 2.28 m. At the Olympics, Kynard won silver [3] behind Russian Ivan Ukhov with a height of 2.33 m, the first major international medal of his career. Ukhov won the competition with a height of 2.38 m. Throughout the high jump competition, Kynard was notable for his American-themed tube socks.

In February 2019, it was announced that all of Ivan Ukhov's results from 16 July 2012 to 31 December 2015 were being disqualified for doping, making Eric Kynard the rightful recipient of the 2012 gold medal.

At the start of the 2013 outdoor season, he cleared a world-leading mark of 2.34 m at the Mt SAC Relays. [4] He won the high jump title at the United States Outdoor National Championships in 2014 and 2015; in the latter he tied his personal best, and the meet record, of 2.37m (7' 9-1/4").

In January 2022, despite being retired, Kynard accepted a six-month ban from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for receiving an IV infusion of saline solution with no prohibited substances without a therapeutic use exemption. [5]

On August 9, 2024, Kynard received his upgraded gold medal from the 2012 London Summer Olympics in a medal reallocation ceremony held at the Champions Park of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. [6] [7] When asked by a reporter if the day had made him feel “whole", he responded:

“I would not sum it up as making me whole for what I lost...It's like I told a joke 12 years ago, and the world just now is starting to get it.” [6]

Major competition record

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2008 World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 19th (q) High jump 2.10 m
2009 Pan American Junior Championships Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 2nd High jump 2.10 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 14th (q) High jump 2.28 m
Universiade Shenzhen, China 13th High jump 2.15 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st High jump 2.33 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 5th High jump 2.32 m
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 3rd High jump 2.34 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 8th High jump 2.25 m
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, United States 3rd High jump 2.33 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6th High jump 2.33 m
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom High jump NM
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 4th High jump 2.29 m

Personal bests

EventBest (m)VenueDate
High jump (outdoor)2.37 Lausanne, Switzerland June 4, 2013
High jump (indoor)2.34 Birmingham February 15, 2014

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darvis Patton</span> American sprinter

Darvis "Doc" Darell Patton is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events. He is a two-time US Champion in the 200-meter dash and won the silver medal in the event at the 2003 World Championships. He is a three-time Olympian and a four-time participant at the World Athletics Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaunté Lowe</span> American high jumper

Chaunté Lowe is an American athlete who competes in the high jump. A four-time Olympian, she is the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2005 World Championship silver medalist and the 2012 World Indoor gold medalist. She initially finished sixth in the 2008 Olympic high jump final, but was promoted to the bronze medal in 2016 after three competitors were disqualified for doping. She is the American record holder in the women's high jump with an outdoor clearance of 2.05 m in 2010, and holds the indoor record with a clearance of 2.02 m in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonietta Di Martino</span> Italian high jumper

Antonietta Di Martino is a retired Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres for outdoor events and 2.04 metres for indoor events. She also currently holds the women's all-time highest jump-differential, meaning she has jumped the highest more than her own height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Ukhov</span> Russian high jumper

Ivan Sergeyevich Ukhov is a Russian high jumper. He won a gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and is a two-time European Indoor champion. He was also the silver medallist at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and the winner of the high jump at the inaugural 2010 IAAF Diamond League. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won the gold medal, but it was later stripped for a doping violation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lashinda Demus</span> American hurdler (born 1983)

Lashinda Demus is a retired American hurdler who specialized in the 400 meter hurdles, an event in which she was the 2011 world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, becoming the first woman from the United States to win the Olympic 400 m hurdles title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Williams (high jumper)</span> American high jumper

Jesse Daniel Williams is an American high jumper and the 2011 World Champion. He was ranked the #2 jumper in the world, outdoors, in 2010 and #1 in the world in 2011. He has jumped 53 centimeters above his height, a differential which places him among the top 20 jumpers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittney Reese</span> American long jumper

Brittney Davon Reese is a retired American long jumper, Olympic gold medalist, and a seven-time world champion. Reese is the indoor American record holder in the long jump with a distance of 7.23 meters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bohdan Bondarenko</span> Ukrainian high jumper (born 1989)

Bohdan Viktorovych Bondarenko is a Ukrainian high jumper. He is the 2013 World champion, 2014 European champion, and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.

The men's high jump event at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany was held between 19 August and 21 August 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutaz Barsham</span> Qatari high jumper (born 1991)

Mutaz Essa Barsham is a Qatari track and field athlete who competes in the high jump and is the former Olympic Champion. He is also the former World Champion and second highest jumper of all-time with a personal best of 2.43. He won gold at the 2017 World Championships in London, at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, as well as the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. At the Olympics, Barsham originally won the full set of medals with bronze at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, silver at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, and shared gold at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. In 2021, his bronze in the London 2012 Summer Olympics was promoted to silver in a three-way tie for second due to disqualification of the original gold medalist, leaving him with two silvers and a gold. His bronze at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics yet again completed his full set of Olympic medals. He was the Asian Indoor and World Junior champion in 2010, and won the high jump gold medals at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships and 2011 Military World Games. He holds the Asian record in high jump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States of America (USA), represented by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. U.S. athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow which they boycotted in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The USOC sent a total of 530 athletes to the Games, 262 men and 268 women, to compete in 25 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, the United States was represented by more female than male athletes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump</span> Mens high jump events at the Olympics

The men's high jump competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom was held at the Olympic Stadium on 5–7 August. Thirty-five athletes from 27 nations competed. The event was won by Ivan Ukhov of Russia, the nation's second consecutive and third overall victory in the men's high jump. On February 1, 2019, Ukhov was stripped of the gold medal by the Court of Arbitration in Sport for doping offenses. Erik Kynard's silver returned the United States to the men's high jump podium after a one-Games absence. A three-way tie for third resulted in bronze medals for Derek Drouin, Robert Grabarz, and Mutaz Essa Barshim. In 2021, the medals were reallocated; Kynard received the gold medal, while Drouin, Grabarz and Barshim were all promoted to the silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Taylor (athlete)</span> American track and field athlete

Christian Taylor is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the triple jump and has a personal record of 18.21 m, which ranks 2nd on the all-time list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Centrowitz Jr.</span> American middle-distance runner

Matthew Centrowitz Jr. is an American middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 1500 metres. He won a gold medal in the event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He also achieved a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships. Centrowitz is a five-time national champion in the 1500 m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Claye</span> American triple jumper and long jumper (born 1991)

Will Claye is an American track and field athlete of Sierra Leonean descent who competes in the long jump and triple jump. He won a bronze medal in 2011 World Championships in Athletics and the gold medals at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships. In his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Claye won a bronze medal in long jump and a silver medal in triple jump. He repeated his silver medal in the triple jump four years later. His personal best of 18.14 m, set at the Jim Bush Southern California USATF Championships in Long Beach on June 29, 2019, ranks him as the No. 4 triple jumper of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Grabarz</span> British high jumper (born 1987)

Robert Karl Grabarz is a retired British high jumper. Active during the 2010s, with his greatest success coming in two periods between 2012 and 2017. He was the 2012 European champion, the 2012 Diamond League high jump champion and won a shared silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was upgraded from bronze after disqualification of the original winner, Ivan Ukhov of Russia, for doping in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Drouin</span> Canadian track and field athlete

Derek Drouin 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. 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 medallist Ivan Ukhov was stripped of his medal for doping violations. He was belatedly presented with the upgraded silver in a presentation during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, one of 10 Olympians who were presented with “reallocated” medals from previous Olympics.

Jeffrey Henderson is an American track and field athlete who competes in the long jump and 100-meter dash. He has a personal record of 8.52 m for the long jump by winning the 2015 Pan Am Games gold medal. At the long jump at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Henderson captured gold for Team USA, its first in the event since 2004. Henderson added a silver medal at the 2019 outdoor world championships. Other top results include becoming the 2014, 2016 and 2018 USA Outdoor national long jump champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 World Championships in Athletics – Women's high jump</span>

The women's high jump at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 15–17 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump</span> Mens high jump events at the Olympics

The men's high jump competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Olympic Stadium between 14–16 August. Forty-four athletes from 28 nations competed. The event was won by Derek Drouin of Canada, the nation's first victory in the men's high jump since 1932. Drouin was the ninth man to win multiple medals in the high jump, after his 2012 bronze. Mutaz Essa Barshim, who had tied Drouin for bronze in 2012, was the tenth multiple medalist in the event. Barshim's silver was Qatar's fifth Olympic medal in any event, and the first better than bronze. Bohdan Bondarenko took bronze, Ukraine's first medal in the men's high jump.

References

  1. "United States high jumper Erik Kynard to get 2012 Olympic gold medal from Russian doper". ESPN.com. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "USA Track & Field | Erik Kynard Jr". usatf.org. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  3. "Erik Kynard wins high jump at U.S. Olympic track and field trials". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  4. Lee, Kirby (2013-04-21). Kynard's 2.34m among seven world leads at Mt SAC Relays. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-04-22.
  5. Erik Kynard Jr., Olympic high jump champion, sanctioned while retired NBC Sports
  6. 1 2 "Olympic medal reallocation ceremony finally gives Lashinda Demus and Erik Kynard their golden moment 12 years later". Yahoo Sports. 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  7. Schad, Tom. "Jamaican sprinter gets reallocated Olympic medal from Marion Jones saga, 24 years later". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-08-13.