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James Butts
- Born
- May 9, 1950 (76 years old)
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, United States
- Events
- Triple Jump
- Height
- 1.88 m
- Weight
- 82 kg
James Aaron Butts (born May 9, 1950) is a retired American triple jumper. He won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics and a bronze at the 1979 Pan American Games. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
Butts won the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials with a wind-aided 17.29 m, just short of the existing world record at the time. He narrowly missed making the team in 1972 and again in 1980, finishing in fourth place each time (the last time by a mere 1 cm).
Butts won the 1972 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships while competing for the University of California at Los Angeles. While training for the Olympics, he worked two jobs including as a janitor, to support his mother and sister. He had to train at 5 am as it was the only time that fit his schedule.
As of Nov 4, 2026: Triple Jump 17.24 (#185 all-time), 1980 season best 16.62 (Feb 22, 1980) · Olympic Games: 1 silver · 76 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | TJ | 16.62 | – | Feb 22, 1980 | – |
| 1980 | TJ Indoor | 16.62 | – | Feb 22, 1980 | San Diego, CA (USA) (i) |
| 1979 | TJ | 16.91 | +2.1 | Jun 17, 1979 | Walnut, CA (USA) |
| 1978 | LJ | 7.54 | – | Jul 13, 1978 | Lausanne (SUI) |
| 1978 | TJ | 17.24 | +0.8 | Jun 29, 1978 | Helsinki (FIN) |
| 1977 | TJ | 17.00 | +2.1 | Jun 11, 1977 | Sochi (URS) |
| 1976 | TJ | 17.29 | +2.9 | Jun 26, 1976 | Olympic Stadium, Montréal (CAN) |
| 1974 | TJ | 16.50 | – | May 11, 1974 | Fresno, CA (USA) |