Stuart Weir did this piece on the most recent LJ coach for Lithuania, Richard Kilty.
Stuart meets a Lithuanian triple leap coach!
I used to be delighted to stumble upon Richard Kilty in Apeldoorn. Richard is a two-time European Indoor 60m champion and received the World Indoors in Sopot 2014—to not point out Olympic, World, European, and Commonwealth relay medals. He’s within the Netherlands supporting his spouse, Dovile, who has reached the ultimate of the Triple Leap for Lithuania. Richard has simply introduced his retirement at age 35.
His most vital achievement was undoubtedly that 2014 World Indoor Championships in Poland, within the seaside metropolis of Sopot. In his first senior main particular person competitors, Kilty seized that chance with each arms and in a substantial upset, when he set private bests within the heats, semi-finals and last, successful a sensational gold in a time of 6.49 within the closest race within the historical past of the competitors, with a tenth of a second separating the complete discipline.
His stellar profession included three Olympics: 2016, 2021, and 2024. Having made his Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, Kilty was once more a part of Workforce GB in Tokyo, initially incomes a silver medal within the 4x100m, which was later faraway from the staff. Nonetheless, in an nearly fairy-tale-esque comeback story, Kilty battled again from accidents to seem at his third Olympics in Paris final summer season and was a part of the 4x100m relay staff that received bronze.
Kilty participated within the heats, serving to Workforce GB earn automated qualification for the ultimate regardless of tearing his Achilles tendon. Changed by Zharnel Hughes within the last’s line-up, he watched as Jeremiah Azu, Mitchell-Blake, and Louie Hinchliffe introduced dwelling the bronze medal and restored his place as an Olympic medallist.
On the Paris Video games, Kilty roomed with rising star Hinchliffe, who has since begun teaching the Hinchliffe and now oversees a promising group of younger sprinters as he continues to offer again to the game. The British Athletics press launch mentioned: “Now specializing in teaching full-time, the Teesside Twister is likely to be bringing down the curtain on a outstanding profession on the observe, however his athletics legacy nonetheless has an extended method to run”.
