Twelve years after his first world championship medal, triple jumper Will Claye keeps chasing his dream of gold

Will Claye finishes second in the Men’s Triple Jump final at the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on Friday night. Photo by Howard Lao

By Maddie Lang 

Will Claye battled through early calf cramps to finish second in the triple jump at the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on Friday night, earning his fifth world championship appearance.

Claye finished second at worlds in 2017 and 2019, third in 2011 and 2013, and most recently placed 11th at the 2022 World Athletics Championships after coming back from an Achilles injury.

It was his second jump of 16.98 meters that gave him the second-place finish behind champion Donald Scott, who won his second consecutive national title with a jump of 17.22m. Both jumpers recorded season’s best marks.

“I made it,” Scott said. “I got the job done.”

Claye, who despite his long career and accolades is not currently sponsored, said before the meet that he is continuing to compete because his new coach said that he still has room for improvement. After finishing second on Friday, he said he believes he can still jump 18 meters, and he thinks that could win a gold in August at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

In the first round, Claye looked strong, jumping 16.76m and taking the lead. He wasn’t in the clear, though. Before his second attempt, he began to feel his calves cramp because of lack of hydration. The cramps never went away.

Claye fouled his second jump. In the third round, he battled through his cramps and put up a 16.98m jump, which earned him the second-place position behind Scott. 

Claye fouled his fourth attempt and wasn’t even able to finish his fifth attempt because of his calves. The sixth round played out like the ones before with a foul.

“I did what I had to do today despite the setbacks,” said Claye, who has also won two Olympic silver medals. “I know there is a lot more left in the tank, so I’m just going to get back to work and get ready for Diamond League and worlds.”

Claye has yet to win an outdoor world championship gold medal. His previous silver medal finishes were second to two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion Christian Taylor, who is a lifelong friend and former teammate. Taylor, who is also recovering from a torn Achilles that ended his 2021 season, made the final Friday in the triple jump and finished eighth with a jump of 16.12m. 

While the two have been battling against each other for most of their professional careers, they have not let that get in the way of their deep friendship.

“I can definitely say my career probably wouldn’t be what it is without Christian,” Claye said. “That competitiveness. You don’t ever want to lose to your brother, and that’s what we had starting from that point.”

Both Claye and Taylor have battled Achilles injuries. Claye ruptured his playing pickup basketball in 2019, and Taylor tore his in during a competition in 2021, derailing his attempt to win three consecutive triple jump Olympic gold medals. 

“We’ve both been going through similar things, and it’s been a beautiful thing,” Claye said. “It’s definitely pushed me, and I can just say that I appreciate CT for being there and pushing me.”

Claye and Taylor’s brotherly competition goes way back to high school. After every competition, Claye would go straight to DyeStat.com and see what Taylor had jumped that week. It wasn't until March 2009, when the two were freshmen in college, that they met at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Claye attended the University of Oklahoma while Taylor was at the University of Florida. Taylor won their first matchup indoors but Claye came back and won the outdoor championships in June of that same year.

After his first year with the Sooners, Claye transferred to Florida, and he trained with Taylor for the rest of their college careers. 

Taylor won’t be joining Claye at the world championships, but the success that the pair has had over the years has brought more light to the event. 

“We’re an event that people try to overshadow,” Claye said. “I feel like we inspired a lot of the next generation to come in and hopefully fill our shoes one day.”

Next up for Claye is the Monaco Diamond League meeting on July 21 before he heads to the World Athletics Championships on August 19-27.

“I’m trying to get a medal at worlds,” Claye said. “I know I want to jump 18 meters, and I think that can win it.”