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Derek Watkins (born 5 April 1981) is a retired Canadian high jumper and triple jumper. He won his first Canadian national high jump title in 2009 High jump in Toronto Ontario. His personal high jump record (outdoors and indoors) is 2.20m (7ft 2.5in). He was also a multiple national champion gold medalist in the triple jump with a personal best of leap of 15.24m (50ft) at the 2007 Canadian University Championships in Montreal Quebec. Derek also attained a 2009 national university silver medal in the Pentathlon with an impressive score of 3807 in only his second pentathlon ever.

Biography
Derek started out his international high jump career in 2000, where he earned a spot on the Canadian national team by placing 2nd at the Canadian junior championships in Montreal, Quebec. In 2001, shortly after placing 3rd at the Canada Summer games in London, Ontario with a jump of 2.06m (6ft 9inches) he went to Boise State University on a track & field scholarship.

In 2003 Derek transferred to Purdue University where he immediately rose to new heights, placing 3rd at the Big Ten outdoor championships with a new personal best of 2.15m (7ft-0.75in). Later that year he would go on to represent Canada at the World University games in Daegu, South Korea placing 12th.

Due to a torn meniscus in 2004, Derek would not compete, however came back on the national and international stage in 2005 making the NCAA outdoor championships and placing 12th in the finals with a jump of 2.14m (7ft .25in). After the NCAA championships he would be named to team Canada once again, where he would place 5th at the Francophone Games, in Niger, Africa.

After graduating from Purdue University in 2006, he made his way to the University of Windsor, where he would have 2 remaining years of eligibility and studied Human Kinetics. In 2007 Derek would win 2 national titles, setting 2 University of Windsor school records (high jump 2.20m and triple jump 15.24m). After his success in Windsor he moved to Toronto, Ontario to train with the 2008 Olympic hopefuls however would get an injury to his ankle which would end his competition for the 2008 year.

in 2009, Derek returned to Windsor for his final year of U-Sport eligibility and would compete in several events including, long jump, hurdles, triple jump, high jump and pentathlon. Over the course of the 4-day U-sport championships in Windsor, Ontario Derek would amass 2-golds, a silver and a 4th place at the championships earning him 33-points for his team. Winning the High jump with a leap of 2.18m (7ft 1.75in), triple jump 15.09m, a silver in the Pentathlon with a score of 3807points and 4th in the long jump with a leap of 7.05m.

He would later that year (2009) win his first national title at the Canadian championships in Toronto, Canada and earn his spot representing Canada again at the Jeux de la Francophonie championships in Beirut, Lebanon where he would place 6th with a jump on 2.15m (7ft- 0.5in).

Derek continued to jump until 2013, where he would place 4th at the Canadian National championships in Moncton, New Brunswick with a jump of 2.08m, and retire after those championships.

In 2019, Derek did a podcast interview regarding his career and his insight as to how he persevered through injury and surgeries, "The imperfect athlete - Injuries, big headed and trying too hard with Derek Watkins.

External links & Articles

 * Derek Watkins YouTube Channel
 * 2019 Podcast Interview - Injuries, big headed and trying too hard with Derek Watkins
 * IAAF World Profile
 * Watkins takes down an Olympian, leaps to gold at Canadian Championships
 * Throwback to Nationals: 2009 Track & Field
 * Maddex, Watkins shine on national stage
 * Adjetey-Nelson, Watkins spectacular, Lancers take the lead after Day 1 of CIS Nationals
 * 2007 World Ranking (76th)
 * 2011 World Aged Rankings
 * 2009 National Ranking (2nd)
 * Purdue Athletics Profile Derek Watkins