Sunday Spotlight: Triple Jumper Brian Wellman
Each Sunday, we will spotlight an accomplished Bermudian, posting a page from our Profile Section on the main site. This Sunday, we profile one of Bermuda’s all time sporting greats – Brian|Wellman.
A former world class triple jumper,Mr. Wellman is one of the best Bermudian athletes of any genre.
A four time Olympian, Mr. Wellman is the only Bermudian to have two top six finishes in the Olympics; 5th in 1992 and 6th in 1996.
Other career highlights include winning the World Championships in 1995 [setting a new championship record of 17.72], a bronze medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and being ranked in the top ten of the world seven times.
Born September 8, 1967, he competed collegiality for the University of Arkansas where he won two NCAA Outdoor triple jump titles.
In 2009, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame. He was honoured as the Bermuda Athlete of the Year five times from 1991 to 1996.
He is part of the golden generation of Bermudian track and field, normally mentioned alongside sprinter Troy Douglas and high jumper Nicky Saunders. Sometimes called the ‘Three Musketeers’ they competed in the same time frame, all placing well in numerous events.
This video shows a quick glimpse of Mr. Wellman competing circa 1995:
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His Olympic appearances:
- 1988 Seoul: 33rd
- 1992 Barcelona: 5th
- 1996 Atlanta: 6th
- 2000 Sydney: 20th
Mr. Wellman was ranked among the top ten triple jumpers in the world by Track and Field News for seven years:
- 1992: 5th
- 1993: 8th
- 1994: 3rd
- 1995: 3rd
- 1996: 5th
- 1997: 9th
- 2001: 10th
His other international sporting accomplishments include:
- 1991 World Championships,Tokyo, Japan: 6th
- 1991 Universiade, Sheffield, England: 1st
- 1993 World Indoor Championships, Toronto, Canada: 3rd
- 1993 World Championships, Stuttgart, Germany: 8th
- 1994 Commonwealth Games, Victoria, Canada: 3rd
- 1995 World Indoor Championships, Barcelona, Spain: 1st
- 1997 World Championships, Athens, Greece: 5th
- 1999 Central American/Caribbean Championships, Barbados: 1st
- 2001 Central American/Caribbean Championships, Guatemala: 1st
- 2001 World Championships, Edmonton, Canada: 6th
- 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, England: 8th
- 2003 Pan American Games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: 9th
Photos
Brian Wellman wins the triple jump final with a championship record of 17.72 metres during the 1995 World Indoor Athletics in Barcelona, Spain on March 12, 1995. [Photo: Tony Duffy/All Sport]
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Jumping during the Triple Jump event at the 1995 Brussels Grand Prix in the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Wellman came third in this event. [Photo: Clive Mason/Allsport]
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In action in the triple jump during the IAAF DN Galan Swedish Grand Prix at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden. [Photo: Gary M Prior/Allsport]
