Athletics at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games:

In July 1995, Jonathan Edwards broke the world record with 17.98 (59-0). A few weeks later, at the World Championships, he opened with another world record of 18.16 (59-7). Then in round two he surpassed that with a Beamon-like performance, jumping 18.29 (60-0¼) – the first-ever triple jump over 60-feet. Favored in Atlanta, he was expected to be challenged by defending champion Mike Conley, Kenny Harrison (USA) and Cubans Yoelbi Quesada and Aliecer Urrutia. Harrison led the qualifying with 17.58 (57-8¼) while Urrutia failed to make the final. In the final, Harrison opened with 17.99 (59-0¼) which would be good enough for the gold medal. Edwards fouled his first two jumps, and only made the top eight with his third round 17.13 (56-2½). Round four saw the medalists produce their best marks of the competition – Harrison with 18.09 (59-4¼), Edwards moving into second with 17.88 (58-8), and Quesada with 17.44 (57-2¾). Conley also had his best mark in that round, but his 17.40 (57-1) would not get him into the medals.