Kenta Bell

Olympian 2004, 2008

Athlete Bio

Height

6'0"

Age

Hometown

Decatur

Education

Kilgore (Texas) HS ‘95; Northwestern State University ‘00

PRs: TJ-17.63m/57-10.25 (2002); LJ - 8.05m/26-5 (2000)
Current

Career Highlights

2008 Olympic Trials runner-up; 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up; 2005 USA Indoor & Outdoor runner-up; 2003 USA Outdoor champion; 3rd at 2004 Olympic Trials and 2007 USA Outdoor Champs...6th at 2003 World Outdoor Championships; 2001 World University Games gold medalist

Bell qualified for his second Olympic Games with his runner-up finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene. He'll travel to Beijing looking to improve on his ninth-place finish at the 2004 Games in Athens. Ranked as one of America's top ten triple jumpers in each of the past nine years by Track & Field News, Bell's reputation for consistency was enhanced in 2007 with his third place finish at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis. Bell turned in a strong season in 2006 highlighted by his second consecutive runner-up finish at the USA Outdoor Championships. Bell won his first U.S. title in 2003 and qualified for his first Olympic team in 2004, placing 9th in Athens. He improved with a seventh-place finish at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki. He equaled the leading triple jump by an American for the 2001 season with his leap of 17.22m/56-6 in winning the World University Games in Beijing. Bell's 2002 season was interrupted when he broke the fourth metatarsal bone in his left foot three weeks prior to the USA Outdoor Championships... In his final collegiate season in 2000, Bell was voted the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year after breaking the SLC indoor triple jump record and winning the long jump to score 20 points at the conference championships. A three-time NCAA All-American in the TJ, Bell was named the SLC Male Field Events Athlete of the Year in 1998. He is the Southland Conference's second-best all-time indoor triple jumper (16.60m/54-5.5), trailing only 1984 Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner of Arkansas State (16.78m/55-0.75)...he was a criminal justice major in college...first name pronounced Ken-TAY.

Competition Results:
2008: Olympic Trials runner-up in TJ(17.23m/56-06.50)...5^th at Rio de Janeiro (17.04m/55-11)
2007: 3^rd at USA Outdoor Champs (16.87m/55-4.25)...15th in qualifying. at World Outdoors (16.22m/52-3.75)...1^st at USATF Florida Association Championships (17.26m/56-7.5)...1^st at Clemont, Fla. (17.26m/56-7.50)...1^st at Gent (16.89m/55-5i)...ranked #4 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 17.26m/56-7.50.
2006: USA Outdoor runner-up (17.19m/56-4.75)...runner-up at Geneva (17.29m/56-8.75)...3^rd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (16.84m/55-3w)...9^th at Stockholm (16.20m)...8^th at London Grand Prix (16.02m)...ranked #3 in U.S. in TJ by T&FN...best of 17.29m/56-8.75.
2005: 2nd at USA Outdoors (16.82m/55-2.25)...7th at World Outdoor Champs (17.11m/56-1.75)...1st at Payton Jordan U.S. Open (16.93m/55-6.5)...1st at adidas Track Classic (17.09m/56-1)...USA Indoor runner-up (16.86m/55-3.75)...ranked #2 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 17.11m/56-1.75.
2004: 3rd at Olympic Trials TJ (17.57m/57-8.25)...9th at Olympic Games (16.90m/55-5.5)...1st at Mt. SAC (17.40m/57-1)...1st at El Paso, Texas (17.19m/56-4.75)...wind-aided mark of 17.76m (58-3.25)...ranked #6 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 17.58m/57-8.25 .
2003: USA Outdoor champion (17.59m/57-8.5 U.S. Leader)...6th at World Outdoors (17.08m/56-0.5)...3rd at USA Indoors (17.06m/55-11.75)...1st at IAAF Japan Grand Prix (17.01m/55-9.25)... ranked #7 in world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 17.59m/57.8.5.
2002: USA Indoors TJ runner-up (16.95m/55-7.5)...4th in LJ at USA Indoors (7.54m/24-9)...2nd in LJ at Erfurt (7.94m/26-0.75)...1st in TJ at Mt.SAC (17.63m/57-10.25PR, #1 by an American in ‘02)...ranked #3 in the TJ in the U.S. by T&FN...bests of 7.94m/ 26-0.75, 17.73m/57-10.25PR.
2001: World University Games gold medalist (17.24m/56-6.75)...5th at USA Indoors (16.15m/53-0)... 9th at World Indoors (16.13m/52-11)...4th at USA Outdoors (16.80m/55-1.5)...ranked #4 in U.S. by T&FN...bests of 17.24m/56-6.75, 7.90m/25-11.
2000: 11th at Olympic Trials (16.12m/52-10)...ranked #7 in TJ in U.S. by T&FN...best of 17.22m/56-6.75.
1999: 4th at USA Outdoors in TJ (52-7.25), 10th in LJ (7.63m/25-0.5w)...11th at NCAA Outdoors in LJ & 8th in TJ...Southland Conference outdoor champ in TJ, runner-up in LJ...ranked #6 in U.S. by T&FN...bests of 54-2.5, 26-0.
1998: SLC champ in TJ, runner-up in LJ...18th in LJ at NCAA Outdoors, no mark in TJ...bests of 15.85m/52-0i, 7.88m/25-10.25w.
1997: Best LJ mark of 7.64m/25-0.75.