Jacko Gill

Jackson "Jacko" Gill (born 20 December 1994) is a shot putter from New Zealand. At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, he won the gold medal in the shot put at only 7008491767200000000♠15 years, 213 days, surpassing Usain Bolt (who was 7008502048800000000♠15 years, 332 days old when he won the 200 metres in 2002) as the youngest-ever male junior champion. He successfully defended his title, winning gold again at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Gill throws with his right hand, using the spin technique.

Career

Gill first came to prominence in late 2009 when he set world age-14 bests with the 5kg Shot (20.42m) and 6kg Shot (17.41m). At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, as a 15-year-old, Gill won the gold in the shot put (6 kg) with a distance of 20.76m, beating 18- and 19-year-olds and becoming the youngest-ever male junior champion.

In 2010, prior to the World Junior Championships, Gill threw the 5 kg shot 22.53m at an event in Stockholm, Sweden, exceeding the best-known performances with that weight for 15- and 16-year-olds. He improved to 22.60m in finishing second at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games despite being unwell. On 11 December 2010, at the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Championships, Gill set a youth (under-18) world-best performance of 23.86m (5 kg).