Jordan Gray (athlete)
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | United States | ||||||||||||||
| Born | December 28, 1995 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Heptathlon | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | Heptathlon 5903 (Des Moines, 2019) Decathlon 8246 (San Mateo, 2021) NR | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
Jordan Gray (born December 28, 1995) is an American track and field athlete. She won the bronze medal in the heptathlon at the 2023 Pan American Games. She is the American national record holder in the decathlon.[1]
Early and personal life
[edit]The daughter of Jackie and Jeff Gray, Gray was brought up in Ball Ground, Georgia. Along with competing in athletics, she has a black belt in taekwondo, has worked as a professional photographer, and plays the ukulele. Gray is a Christian. She attended Kennesaw State University.[2]
Career
[edit]In June 2019, Gray set a new American national record of 7,921 points for the decathlon at the National Women's Decathlon Championships at College of San Mateo, California.[3] That month she secured seventh place in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon with a tally of 5846 points. In July 2019, she set a new heptathlon PB, scoring 5903 at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Later that year, she represented America and competed abroad for the first time, at the Thorpe Cup.[4]
In August 2021, she raised her decathlon national record to 8,246 points competing in at the College of San Mateo. It placed her third on the world all-time list behind only Austra Skujytė of Lithuania and Marie Collonvillé of France, and was the best score recorded since 2006.[5] In response to the lack of opportunities for women to compete in the decathlon she launched a campaign called “Let Women Decathlon.”[6]
Gray won the bronze medal in the heptathlon at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in November 2023.[7][8]
In 2024, Gray organized the inaugural Women's Decathlon World Championships in Geneva, Ohio.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Jordan Gray". World Athletics. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Wiltschek, Walt. "Jordan Gray Track and Field". The50athletes.com. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Kopet, Adam (June 28, 2019). "Jordan Gray Smashes American Record for Women's Decathlon". Runnerspace.com. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Jordan Gray. Dedicated. Determined. Decathlete". Decathletesofeurope. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Baer, Fred (August 23, 2021). "100th SEASON OF CSM SPORTS BEGINS WITH ITS 3rd AMERICAN RECORD PERFORMANCE". Pausatf.orh. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Gillen, Nancy (February 9, 2021). "Campaign to include women's decathlon at Paris 2024 launched by US athlete". Inside The Games. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Boal, Eric (November 3, 2023). "Erin Marsh Captures Heptathlon Gold, Bridget Williams Soars to Women's Pole Vault Title for U.S. at Pan American Games". Runnerspace. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Perelman, Rich (November 3, 2023). "TSX REPORT: U.S. cruises past 200 Pan Am medals; U.S. marathon trials race directors blame USATF; Kremlin blasts IOC for "double standard" on Israel". The Sports Examiner. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Kaylee Olivas (August 4, 2024). "'Last remaining inequality': Inaugural Women's Decathlon World Championship acts as message to Olympics". News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- 1995 births
- Living people
- American heptathletes
- American male decathletes
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 2023 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
- Kennesaw State Owls women's track and field athletes
- 21st-century American sportsmen