Charles Austin (Southwest Texas University)

Charles Austin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Charles Austin, see Charles Austin (disambiguation).
Charles Austin Medal record[hide]Men’s athletics
Competitor for the United States
Olympic Games
Gold 1996 Atlanta High jump
World Championships
Gold 1991 Tokyo High jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold 1997 Paris High jump
Bronze 1999 Maebashi High jump
World Cup Championship
Gold 1998 Johannesburg High jump

Charles Austin (born December 19, 1967) is an American athlete who won the gold medal in the men's high jump at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is the owner of So High Sports and Fitness a sports performance and personal training company. He opened his So High Sports and Fitness Studio in 2002 and his So High Sports and Fitness Performance Center in 2008. Both are located in San Marcos, Texas. Charles is also the author of the book, Head Games: Life's Greatest Challenge.

[edit] Career Charles Austin has achieved a level of success of which most people can only dream. An Olympic gold medalist, Austin is the American and Olympic high jump record holder, two-time World Champion, and a nine-time national track and field high jump champion. Raised in Van Vleck, Texas, Austin was the youngest of 10 children. He was a senior in high school without any way to pay for college, when some friends convinced him to try high jumping for the track team. He cleared six feet on his first try to make the team and finished the year with a personal best of 6' 11".

Austin's success landed him an athletic scholarship at Southwest Texas University (now Texas State University). After a difficult first few years, he climbed the ranks in the NCAA, shattering school records and his senior year, won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 1990 and was the number one college high jumper in the country.

In 1991, Austin graduated with a degree in business administration. Within the year he was the American Record Holder (2.40m - 7'10 1/2") and gold medalist at the 1991 World Championship and was a contender to win in the Olympics. However, when he arrived at the 1992 Olympic trials there was speculation on whether or not he should compete, due to a knee injury. He pushed forward, making it on to the U.S. team, but his confidence was shaken and a poor performance cost him a medal. He finished in eighth place.

The trouble continued, forcing Austin to have major surgery and threatening to end his career. He was left to watch from home as his fellow athletes competed in the 1993 World Championship. But while his knee healed, Austin's passion continued to grow. In 1994, he began his journey back to the top of the world high jump ranks. Within a few years, he had regained his strength and was once again performing at a high level.

When he returned to the Olympics in 1996, he did so with a new determination and mental focus. His gold winning jump of 7' 10" was a new Olympic record and still stands today.

3-Time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000) 1998 World Cup Champion 1997 Indoor World Championship High Jump Gold Medalist 1996 Olympic High Jump Gold Medalist 1991 Outdoor World Championship High Jump Gold Medalist 1990 NCAA Outdoor High Jump Champion 6-Time U. S. Outdoor Track & Field High Jump Champion (Consecutive) 3-Time U. S. Indoor Track & Field High Jump Champion Current American High Jump Record Holder 7' 10 1/2" (Set in 1991) Current Olympic High Jump Record Holder 7' 10" (Set in 1996) Jumped 22 inches over head (4th highest all-time) Competitions Over 2.30m (7' 6 1/2") - 61

1st Place (41), Second Place (13), Third Place (4), Fourth Place (1), Fifth Place (2)
2001 Outdoor World Track & Field Championship Team Captain 2001 Indoor World Track & Field Championship Team Captain 2000 Olympic Track & Field Men's Team Captain 1999 Outdoor World Track & Field Championship Team Captain 1999 Indoor World Track & Field Championship Team Captain 1998 World Cup Team Captain 1997 Outdoor World Track & Field Championship Team Captain 1997 Indoor World Track & Field Championship Flag Barrier Selected by the United States Olympic Committee to present President Clinton with the Presidential Olympic plaque at the White House (1996)

[edit] External linksUSA Track & Field



Sporting positions
Preceded by
Sorin Matei Men's High Jump Best Year Performance
alongside Javier Sotomayor
1991 Succeeded by
Steve Smith
Preceded by
Javier Sotomayor Men's High Jump Best Year Performance
1996 Succeeded by
Javier Sotomayor




[show]v t e Olympic Champions in Men's High Jump

1896: Ellery Harding Clark (USA) 1900: Irving Baxter (USA) 1904: Samuel Jones (USA) 1908: Harry Porter (USA) 1912: Alma Richards (USA) 1920: Richmond Landon (USA) 1924: Harold Osborn (USA) 1928: Bob King (USA) 1932: Duncan McNaughton (CAN) 1936: Cornelius Johnson (USA) 1948: John Winter (AUS) 1952: Walt Davis (USA) 1956: Charles Dumas (USA) 1960: Robert Shavlakadze (URS) 1964: Valeriy Brumel (URS) 1968: Dick Fosbury (USA) 1972: Jüri Tarmak (URS) 1976: Jacek Wszoła (POL) 1980: Gerd Wessig (GDR) 1984: Dietmar Mögenburg (FRG) 1988: Hennadiy Avdyeyenko (URS) 1992: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1996: Charles Austin (USA) 2000: Sergey Klyugin (RUS) 2004: Stefan Holm (SWE) 2008: Andrey Silnov (RUS) 2012: Ivan Ukhov (RUS)

[show]v t e World Champions in Men's High Jump

1983: Hennadiy Avdyeyenko (URS) 1987: Patrik Sjöberg (SWE) 1991: Charles Austin (USA) 1993: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1995: Troy Kemp (BAH) 1997: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1999: Vyacheslav Voronin (RUS) 2001: Martin Buß (GER) 2003: Jacques Freitag (RSA) 2005: Yuriy Krymarenko (UKR) 2007: Donald Thomas (BAH) 2009: Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) 2011: Jesse Williams (USA)

[show]v t e World Indoor Champions in Men's High Jump

1985: Patrik Sjöberg (SWE) 1987: Igor Paklin (URS) 1989: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1991: Hollis Conway (USA) 1993 – 1995: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1997: Charles Austin (USA) 1999: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 2001 – 2004: Stefan Holm (SWE) 2006: Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) 2008: Stefan Holm (SWE) 2010: Ivan Ukhov (RUS) 2012: Dimitrios Chondrokoukis (GRE)

[show]v t e IAAF World / Continental Cup Champions in Men's High Jump

1977: Rolf Beilschmidt (GDR) 1979: Franklin Jacobs (USA) 1981: Tyke Peacock (USA) 1985: Patrik Sjöberg (SWE) 1989: Patrik Sjöberg (SWE) 1992: Yuriy Sergiyenko (UKR) 1994: Javier Sotomayor (CUB) 1998: Charles Austin (USA) 2002: Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) 2006: Tomáš Janků (CZE) 2010: Rashid Ahmed Al-Mannai (QAT)

[show]v t e 1996 USA Olympic Track & Field Team

Qualification 1996 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

Men's track & road athletes Derrick Adkins Brad Barquis Keith Brantly Bryan Bronson Andrzej Chylinski Curt Clausen Mark Coogan Mark Crear Mark Croghan Calvin Davis Marc Davis Bruce Deacon Jon Drummond Robert Gary Johnny Gray Matt Giusto Tim Harden Alvin Harrison Brian Hyde Allen James Allen Johnson Michael Johnson Bob Kempainen Bob Kennedy Michael Marsh Anthuan Maybank Dan Middleman Derek Mills Dennis Mitchell Tim Montgomery Herman Nelson José Parrilla Jason Pyrah Butch Reynolds Brandon Rock Jason Rouser Lamont Smith Jim Spivey Eugene Swift Jeff Williams Todd Williams

Men's field athletes Charles Austin Randy Barnes Ed Broxterman Mike Conley, Sr. Lance Deal Steve Fritz John Godina Joe Greene Kenny Harrison Jeff Hartwig Robert Howard Chris Huffins Scott Huffman C. J. Hunter Lawrence Johnson Carl Lewis Kevin McMahon Dan O'Brien Ken Popejoy Mike Powell Tom Pukstys Todd Riech Adam Setliff Dave Stephens Anthony Washington Cameron Wright

Women's track & road athletes Olga Appell Kim Batten Tonja Buford-Bailey Joetta Clark Gail Devers Sandra Farmer-Patrick Suzy Favor-Hamilton Kate Fonshell Chryste Gaines Kim Graham Carlette Guidry Juli Henner D'Andre Hill Vicki Huber Regina Jacobs Lynn Jennings Maicel Malone Jearl Miles Inger Miller Joan Nesbit Meredith Rainey Amy Rudolph Mary Slaney Rochelle Stevens Lynda Tolbert-Goode Gwen Torrence Linetta Wilson Dannette Young

Women's field athletes Amy Acuff Valeyta Althouse Lacy Barnes Mileham Kelly Blair Nicole Carroll Sharon Hanson Aretha Hill Sheila Hudson Jackie Joyner-Kersee Diana Orrange Ramona Pagel Suzy Powell Connie Price-Smith Cynthea Rhodes Connie Teaberry Marieke Veltman Tisha Waller Erica Wheeler Shana Williams

Coaches —

[show]v t e 2004 USA Olympic Track & Field Team

Qualification 2004 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

Men's track & road athletes Abdihakem Abdirahman Bennie Brazell Derrick Brew Tim Broe Dan Browne James Carter Curt Clausen Shawn Crawford Alan Culpepper Philip Dunn Kevin Eastler Anthony Famiglietti Robert Gary Justin Gatlin Maurice Greene Charlie Gruber Otis Harris Allen Johnson Jonathan Johnson Meb Keflezighi Daniel Lincoln Coby Miller John Nunn Darvis Patton Derrick Peterson Jonathon Riley Dathan Ritzenhein Grant Robison Khadevis Robinson Andrew Rock Duane Ross Tim Seaman Angelo Taylor Terrence Trammell Jeremy Wariner Alan Webb Bernard Williams Darold Williamson Kelly Willie

Men's field athletes Charles Austin Kenta Bell Bryan Clay Walter Davis John Godina Breaux Greer Tora Harris Matt Hemingway Reese Hoffa A. G. Kruger Melvin Lister Timothy Mack Casey Malone Derek Miles John Moffitt Jamie Nieto Tom Pappas James Parker Dwight Phillips Jarred Rome Toby Stevenson Paul Terek Ian Waltz

Women's track & road athletes Hazel Clark Jearl Miles Clark LaTasha Colander Crystal Cox Shayne Culpepper Colleen De Reuck Lashinda Demus Gail Devers Elva Dryer Allyson Felix Shalane Flanagan Joanna Hayes Monique Henderson Monique Hennagan Sheena Johnson Marion Jones Deena Kastor Muna Lee LaShauntea Moore Melissa Morrison Kate O'Neill Jennifer Rhines Sanya Richards Moushaumi Robinson Marla Runyan Brenda Taylor Nicole Teter Carrie Tollefson DeeDee Trotter Teresa Vaill Angela Williams Lauryn Williams

Women's field athletes Amy Acuff Stephanie Brown Shelia Burrell Laura Gerraughty Erin Gilreath Kristin Heaston Aretha Hill Chaunté Howard Tiombe Hurd Jackie Jeschelnig Marion Jones Kim Kreiner Tiffany Lott-Hogan Anna Mahon Yuliana Perez Michelle Perry Rose Richmond Jillian Schwartz Seilala Sua Kellie Suttle Grace Upshaw Tisha Waller

Coaches —

[show]v t e US National Championship winners in Men's high jump

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Austin