Godfrey Khotso Mokoena

Godfrey Khotso Mokoena (born 6 March 1985 in Heidelberg, South Africa) is a South African athlete who specializes in the long jump and triple jump.

Godfrey Khotso Mokoena
Mokoena at the 2009 Lappeenranta Games
Personal information
Born (1985-03-06) 6 March 1985
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Country South Africa
SportAthletics
Event(s)Long jump
Medal record
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2008 BeijingLong jump
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2009 BerlinLong jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2008 ValenciaLong jump
Silver medal – second place 2010 Doha Long jump
World Athletics Final
Bronze medal – third place2007 StuttgartLong Jump
Bronze medal – third place2009 ThessalonikiLong Jump
World Indoor Tour
Winner2017Long jump
African Championships
Gold medal – first place2010 NairobiLong Jump
Gold medal – first place2014 MarrakechTriple Jump
Silver medal – second place2006 BambousLong Jump
Silver medal – second place2006 BambousTriple Jump
Silver medal – second place2014 MarrakechLong Jump
Silver medal – second place2018 AsabaTriple Jump
Bronze medal – third place2016 DurbanTriple jump
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2014 GlasgowTriple Jump
Silver medal – second place2006 MelbourneTriple Jump
All-Africa Games
Silver medal – second place2003 AbujaTriple Jump
Bronze medal – third place2003 AbujaLong Jump
Bronze medal – third place2007 AlgiersLong Jump
Afro-Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place2003 HyderabadLong Jump
Bronze medal – third place2003 HyderabadTriple Jump
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2004 GrossetoTriple Jump
Silver medal – second place2004 GrossetoLong Jump
Updated on 15 August 2012.

Early life and family

He started his school education at Shalimar Ridge Primary School in Heidelberg, Gauteng. He excelled at gymnastics at a very early age.

He matriculated at Nigel High School, Nigel. His talent at long jump was discovered by Elna de Beer.[1] He started to compete in athletics at the age of 13.[2]

Career

Originally competing in the triple jump, winning the World Junior title in 2004 (he also came second in the long jump) and the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, he switched to long jump in 2007 after an ankle injury.[1][2] It was a very successful transition. In 2008, he won the long jump at the world indoor championships and silver at the Olympic games.

In July 2009, he set a new African record in long jump, 8.50m in Madrid in an IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting where he finished second behind Fabrice Lapierre. The previous African record, 8.46, was held by Cheikh Toure of Senegal and set in 1997.[3]

For the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he switched back to the triple jump, winning the gold medal.[2]

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  South Africa
2001 World Youth Championships Debrecen, Hungary 5th High jump 2.10 m
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 12th Long jump 7.08 m (-0.7 m/s)
2003 All-Africa Games Abuja, Nigeria 3rd Long jump 7.83 m
2nd Triple jump 16.28 m
Afro-Asian Games Hyderabad, India 3rd Long jump 7.76 m
3rd Triple jump 15.92 m
2004 World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 2nd Long jump 8.09 m (+0.7 m/s)
1st Triple jump 16.77 m (-0.3 m/s)
2006 World Indoor Championships Moscow, Russia 5th Long jump 8.01 m
Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 4th Long jump 8.04 m
2nd Triple jump 16.95 m
African Championships Bambous, Mauritius 2nd Long jump 8.45 m w
2nd Triple jump 16.67 m w
2007 All-Africa Games Algiers, Algeria 3rd Long jump 7.99 m
World Championships Osaka, Japan 5th Long jump 8.19 m
World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 3rd Long jump 8.12 m
2008 World Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 1st Long jump 8.08 m
Olympic Games Beijing, China 2nd Long jump 8.24 m
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 2nd Long jump 8.47 m
World Athletics Final Thessaloniki, Greece 3rd Long jump 8.17 m
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar 2nd Long jump 8.08 m
African Championships Nairobi, Kenya 1st Long jump 8.23 m
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 1st Triple jump 17.20 m
African Championships Marrakech, Morocco 2nd Long jump 8.02 m
1st Triple jump 17.03 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 13th (q) Long jump 7.98 m
9th Triple jump 16.81 m
2016 African Championships Durban, South Africa 3rd Triple jump 16.77 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 21st (q) Triple jump 16.51 m
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 14th Long jump 7.53 m
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 2nd Triple jump 16.83 m

Personal bests
  • Long jump – 8.50 m (2009) [4]
  • Triple jump – 17.35 m (2005) NR[4]
  • High jump – 2.10 m (2001)

Family pesponse

Phakiso Mokoena, father of Godfrey, was quoted in a local newspaper "Godfrey initially found it difficult to qualify for the Olympics, but has through hard work endured and finished second in the world."

References
  1. "IAAF: Athlete profile for Godfrey Khotso Mokoena". iaaf.org. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  2. "Glasgow 2014 - Khotso Mokoena Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  3. IAAF, 5 July 2009: 8.50m African Long Jump record for Mokoena in Madrid – IAAF World Athletics Tour
  4. "South African athletics records". Archived from the original on 19 August 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
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