Charles Austin
- Born
- Dec 19, 1967 (58 years old)
- Birthplace
- Bay City, United States
- Events
- High Jump
- Height
- 1.83 m
- Weight
- 77 kg
Charles Allen Austin is an American former high jumper born on December 19, 1967, in Bay City, Texas. Standing 183 cm and weighing 77 kg, he won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2012.
Austin and Javier Sotomayor are the only two high jumpers to have won gold medals at the Olympics, Outdoor World Championships, Indoor World Championships, and World Cup Championships. Along with Hennadiy Avdyeyenko, he is one of only two high jumpers to win and establish championship records at both the Outdoor World Championships and Olympic Games.
He currently holds or previously held the high jump record at the three biggest outdoor track and field competitions: the Olympics, Outdoor World Championships, and Zurich Weltklasse. His achievements make him one of the greatest high jumpers in history.
As of Oct 28, 2026: High Jump 2.40 (#7 all-time), 2004 season best 2.24 (Jul 18, 2004, Sacramento, CA (USA)) · Olympic Games: 1 gold · World Championships: 1 gold · 58 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| World Championships | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Total | 2 | – | – | 2 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | HJ | 2.24 | – | Jul 18, 2004 | Sacramento, CA (USA) |
| 2003 | HJ | 2.27 | – | Feb 7, 2003 | – |
| 2003 | HJ Indoor | 2.30 | – | Mar 2, 2003 | US Indoor Championships |
| 2002 | HJ | 2.28 | – | May 11, 2002 | Modesto, CA (USA) |
| 2001 | HJ Indoor | 2.31 | – | Feb 17, 2001 | Arnstadt (GER) (i) |
| 2001 | HJ | 2.31 | – | Feb 17, 2001 | – |
| 2000 | HJ | 2.32 | – | Jul 8, 2000 | Sacramento, CA (USA) |
| 1999 | HJ | 2.32 | – | May 26, 1999 | – |