Lin Yu-tang (long jumper)

Lin Yu-tang^[a] (Chinese: 林昱堂; born 11 May 2000) is a Taiwanese long jumper. He was the 2023 indoor and outdoor Asian Champion in the long jump. In 2023, he set a Chinese Taipei record leap of 8.40 m, qualifying him for his first Olympic Games in Paris.

Lin Yu-tang

Personal information
Native name	Chinese: 林昱堂[1]
Nationality	Chinese Taipei
Born	11 May 2000 (2000-05-11) (age 25)[2]
Home town	Penghu, Taiwan[3]
Education	Chang Jung Christian University[4]
Height	174 cm (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Weight	58 kg (128 lb)[2]
Sport
Sport	Sport of athletics
Event	Long jump
Achievements and titles
National finals	2018 Taiwanese Champs  • Long jump, 2nd 2022 Taiwanese Champs  • Long jump, 1st
Personal best	LJ: 8.40m (+0.3) NR (2023)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Chinese Taipei Asian U20 Championships 2018 Gifu 4 × 100 m relay Asian Championships 2023 Bangkok Long jump Asian Indoor Championships 2023 Astana Long jump
Updated on 6 April 2024

Career

Lin's career began at the U20 level, where he won the silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2018 Asian U20 Championships and finished 4th in the long jump individually.^[2] He first represented Chinese Taipei internationally at the 2019 World University Games, where he qualified for the finals and finished 8th.^[2]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Lin did not compete outside the Republic of China again until 2023, winning his first gold medal at the Asian Indoor Championships. It was the second gold medal Taiwan had ever won at an Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, after that of pole vaulter Hsieh Chia-han in 2014.^[5]

Lin would go on to compete at the Asian Athletics Championships that year. At the competition, Lin broke his track spikes after his second jump, but he was able to recover because his secret was bringing two pairs of running shoes to every meet.^[3] He defeated Indian favorite Murali Sreeshankar and became the third Taiwanese athlete in any sport to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[4] Lin's winning mark of 8.40 m was also a Taiwanese record. "I know he is a good jumper, still it was a surprise for me", commented Sreeshankar about Lin after his loss.^[6]

Lin competed in his first World Championships later that summer in Budapest, but he only achieved a best of 7.45 m in qualifying and did not advance to the final.^[2] At the Asian Games the following month, Lin qualified for the long jump final and finished 5th with a 7.91 m mark. He also competed in the 4 × 100 m relay, where his team finished 6th in the final.^[2]

Personal life

Lin is from Penghu. Republic of China He attended Chang Jung Christian University.^[4]

Statistics

Personal best progression

Long Jump progression

#	Mark	Pl.	Competition	Venue	Date	Ref.
1	7.49 m NWI		National Games of the Republic of China	Yilan, Chinese Taipei	22 October 2017	[7]
2	7.56 m (+0.2 m/s)		Harbor City Cup Championships	Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei	10 February 2018	[8]
3	7.71 m NWI		International Open Athletics Championships	Singapore, Singapore	11 April 2018	[9]
4	7.72 m (−0.1 m/s)	7th	Taiwan Athletics Open Meet	Taipei, Chinese Taipei	25 May 2018	[10]
5	7.78 m (+0.5 m/s)		National Autum Track & Field Meet	Taipei, Chinese Taipei	28 September 2018	[11]
6	7.93 m (+0.5 m/s)		Taiwan Open Athletics Champs	Taipei, Chinese Taipei	25 May 2019	[12]
7	7.98 m (−0.3 m/s)		National Inter-Collegiate Games	Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei	2 November 2020	[13]
8	8.02 m i		Asian Indoor Athletics Championships	Astana, Kazakhstan	11 February 2023	[14]
9	8.12 m (−0.1 m/s)		Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet	Osaka, Japan	5 May 2023	[15]
10	8.40 m (+0.3 m/s) NR		Asian Athletics Championships	Bangkok, Thailand	14 July 2023	[16]