Published at 10:27, Saturday, 21 November 2009

FORMER Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards, CBE, will be in South Cumbria next Friday.

WORLD RECORD: Triple jumper Jonathan Edwards

ATHLETICS

The 43-year-old is visiting the area in his capacity as deputy chair of the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group.

Edwards – whose triple jump world record has now stood for 14 years – will speak and present prizes at the Cumbria Sports Awards, to be held at the Low Wood Hotel on the shore of Windermere (7pm start).

Before that he will speak at the Cumbria 2012 Conference, to be held at Kendal College, in the morning, and then visit the Lakes School, near Ambleside, where he will meet staff and students.

Edwards is most famous for winning gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

He set his world record leap of 18.29m at the World Championships in Gothenburg in 1995.

Despite the attempts of the world’s best triple jumpers, Edwards’ magnificent record still stands today.

Another Olympic medallist, rower Alison Mowbray – who won silver in Athens in 2004 – will be the after-dinner speaker at the sports awards.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk