Godfrey Khotso Mokoena
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use South African English Script error: No such module "infobox".Template:Wikidata imageScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".
Godfrey Khotso Mokoena OIB (born 6 March 1985 in Heidelberg, South Africa) is a South African athlete who specializes in the long jump and triple jump.
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
Personal bests
Family response
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
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
Template:Footer World Indoor Champions Long Jump Men Template:Footer African Champions men's long jump Template:Footer African Champions men's triple jump Template:Footer Commonwealth Champions Triple Jump Men Template:Footer IAAF Diamond League Long Jump Champions Men Template:Footer World Junior Champions men's triple jump Template:Authority control
- Pages with script errors
- 1985 births
- Living people
- People from Lesedi Local Municipality
- South African Sotho people
- South African male long jumpers
- South African male triple jumpers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- University of Pretoria alumni
- Olympic athletes for South Africa
- Olympic silver medalists for South Africa
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for South Africa
- Commonwealth Games athletes for South Africa
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for South Africa
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- World Athletics Championships athletes for South Africa
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- African Games silver medalists for South Africa
- African Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- African Games bronze medalists for South Africa
- African Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic male triple jumpers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 All-Africa Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 All-Africa Games
- Diamond League winners
- World Athletics Indoor Championships winners
- South African Athletics Championships winners
- Athletes from Gauteng
- Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- 21st-century South African sportsmen
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics