As a World Champion and twice European and Commonwealth champion
the 1990's were going very well for Colin Jackson. Only the Olympic Games
of 1992 had been a major disappointment. Then came 1995 and an injury
disrupted his preparations to defend his World Championship title.
The British selectors were also making demands on him to show his fitness
that he thought were unreasonable. The upshot was that he did not compete
in Gothenburg and his disappointing season was compounded when his best
time of the year (13.17sec.) lost him his World no.1 ranking and he slipped
to 6th place. Only the 1995 world champion Allen Johnson beat 13sec. that year.
Perhaps the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games would restore him as the world's best
high hurdler - unfortunately they did not. Olympic year was a lacklustre season
by his high standards. His best time of 13.13sec. was recorded when winning the
AAA's/Olympic trials but at the Games themselves he was not quite good enough
and had to accept 4th place behind champion Allen Johnson who set an Olympic
record of 12.95sec. with Mark Crear and Florian Schwarthoff taking the other medals.
His AAA's winning time ranked him 5th in the world. During this period the World
Championships had become bi-annual. The 1997 event was held in Athens and
unlike 1995, Colin was competing (photographed above in first round) In the
final he pressed defending champion Allen Johnson, running his best time of the
year (13.05sec.), but to no avail, the American won in 12.93sec. very close to
Jackson's CBP of 12.91sec. set in 1993. The silver did, however, compete the
set of World championship medals for Jackson and he ranked third in the World
behind Allen Johnson. (George Herringshaw)