ATHLETES
TEAM HARD YARDS
CHRISTIAN
TAYLOR
USA
2 x Olympic Champion
4 x World Champion
7 x Diamond League Champion
An athlete who has won it all. A two-time Olympic Triple Jump Champion and four-time World Champion, Christian is the American record-holder (18.21 metres) and has the second furthest jump in history. Voted US male Track and Field athlete of the decade, CT has legendary status in the sport of Athletics. A game-changer on and off the track Christian has been a mentor for the charity Classroom Champions since 2014 and last year joined the Board as he continues to strive to leave a lasting legacy. He’s also the President and co-founder of The Athletics Association, an independent association fighting for better rights and conditions for Track and Field athletes.
Hard Yards Management represents Christian on a commercial and marketing basis.
NAOMI
METZGER
GB & NI
A 23 year-old athlete with the world at her feet. Naomi is first and foremost an incredible human. The Mancunian reached the final of the European Championships in Berlin in 2018 and is a European junior medallist. Her personal best is 14.22 metres and she’s already ranked third in the British all-time rankings. Outside of the sport Naomi is a creative genius, she’s presented for BBC Sport, is a celebrated photographer and Vlogger, and she recently created a website dedicated to telling the stories of other athletes in her sport - threepointstart.com.
Achievements
Eight-Time British Champion
European Finalist
British Under-23 record holder
Adidas Athlete \\\
Socials
TAZANA
KAMANGA-DYRBAK
Denmark
Partnerships
Puma athlete #ForeverFaster
Socials
Achievements
Youth Olympic Games Finalist
National record holder
Fastest Under-20 in Europe in 2021
100 Metres PB - 10.33 seconds
200 Metres PB - 20.48 seconds
An 19 year-old sprinter with a huge future ahead of him, Tazana represents Denmark, and reached the final of the 200 metres at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. A former Rugby player, Tazana has only been competing in Athletics for a few years but has already made amazing strides forward. Proud of his Zambian and Danish heritage, Tazana lives and trains in Denmark and Kenya. He has a 100 metres personal best of 10.33 seconds and a 200 metres time of 20.48 seconds, making him the fastest under-20 in Europe in 2021 and the fastest Danish senior athlete of all-time. Tazana is an Puma sponsored athlete.
Lorraine Ugen is a Long Jumper who has enjoyed incredible success in her career so far. After winning the prestigious NCAA title twice, Lorraine continued to excel as a pro athlete and has won major medals at both World and European Championships. She’s a three-time national champion, British record holder and is a member of the exclusive seven metre club, with a PB of 7m05. Lorraine is based in Atlanta and coached by the legendary Dwight Phillips.
ED
FAULDS
GB&NI
Ed Faulds is one of the world’s most exciting new talents. Ed announced himself to the world with an incredible victory at the European Under-20 Championships in Tallinn, winning the 400 metres in 45.72 seconds, and anchoring the GB&NI relay team to gold in the 4x400 with a 44 second split. A former Rugby player, Ed is a fierce competitor with a huge future in the sport and is determined to achieve great things.
Socials
2021 European Under-20 Champion over 400 metres & 4x400.
400 Metres Personal Best - 45.72 seconds
SHIDA
LENI
Uganda
National record holder 200 & 400 metres
2019 Universiade Silver Medallist
400 metres PB - 51.47
Shida Leni is a trailblazing sprinter from Uganda, the 200 & 400 national record holder who has competed at Commonwealth Games and the 2019 World Championships in Doha. In 2019 she also won silver at the 2019 Universiade. An exciting talent coached by a British husband and wife duo in Kampala, 26 year-old Shida is aiming to make her Olympic debut in 2021.
GREG
THOMPSON
GB & NI
Greg Thompson is a Discus thrower with the potential to win global titles. A British international and Universiade finalist, Greg is a Philosophy graduate from the University of Maryland and is the son of a former British international Discus thrower, Neville Thompson.
MOLLY
CAUDERY
GB & NI
Still just 21 years-old, Molly Caudery is a hugely talented British Pole Vaulter who is on course for major success as a senior. A European Junior silver medallist aged 17, in 2021 Molly also won silver at the European Under-23 Championships. Molly placed fifth on her Commenwealth Games debut in 2018 when she was just 18. A former British indoor champion, in 2022 Molly is set to make a huge impression.
An Italian 100 & 200 metres sprinter who has won medals as a junior and senior and is a leading light in Italian sprinting. With personal bests of 11.24 seconds and 22.89, Gloria is a threat in both events and has competed in every major championships. From the autumn 2021 Gloria will Based in Loughborough in the UK.
A former youth Triple Jump champion, Kevin Metzger switched to the 400 metres full-time in 2020 and made huge progress in the event, improving his personal best by over three seconds to 45.97 seconds. A British international who competed for GB&NI at the World Relays in 2021, Kevin is now training full-time as a quarter-miler, and looking to continue his rapid rise as he prepares for a busy 2022.
REYNOLD
BANIGO
GB & NI
Socials
Achievements
British Long Jump Champion
European Under-23 Finalist
Long Jump PB - 7.94 metres
2020 British Long Jump champion, 22 year-old Reynold Banigo is a young athlete on the rise. Setting a new personal best of 7.94 metres in 2020 Reynold signalled his intentions of winning medals for his country in the coming years. Based at Loughborough Reynold is also the number one barber in the north of England, no one does a skin fade better.
A British international sprinter who has won European medals as a junior and a senior. A specialist over 60 metres, Andy is twice British champion and in 2021 finished fourth at the European Championships. With a personal best of 10.10 over 100 metres, Andy is targeting a sub-10 race in 2022.
ELLA
RUSH
GB & NI
Socials
Achievements
Multiple national age group champion in Pentathlon and Heptathlon
UK junior record holder
Heptathlon PB - 5370 points
Ella Rush is a hugely successful multi-eventer who aged just 17 has shown talent beyond her years. In 2020 she improved her personal best to 5270 points when she claimed victory at the Under-18 national championships in Denmark, a result that sees her ranked inside the World’s top 10 for the Under-18 girls Heptathlon. Remember the name.
A hugely talented sprinter who competed for Team GB at the inaugural Youth Olympics in 2011, Annie Tagoe has fought back from a series of serious injuries. Next the 27 year-old is targeting the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, and the World Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2022. In addition to her life as an athlete, Annie works as a commercial model and is signed to IMG Models.
ANDREAS
TRAJKOVSKI
Denmark
A World Junior medallist in 2012, winning silver with a personal best of 7.82 metres, Andreas is not only a brilliant Long Jumper, but also an incredible entrepreneur, who has created the world’s largest jumping community online through his brand - Jumpers World. Aiming for the 2021 Olympics and the European and World Championships, Andreas has unfinished business in the sand.
Socials
Achievements
World Junior Medallist
Jumpers World founder
Long Jump Personal Best - 7.87 metres
BETHAN
PARTRIDGE
GB & NI
A two-time British High Jump champion, 2020 was Bethan’s best ever season, as she cleared 1.90 metres for the first time and won her second national title. After reaching the final of the 2018 Commonwealth Games Bethan is targetting more success at major championships in the coming years.
THOMAS
JONES
SWEDEN
20 year-old Thomas is already one of Sweden’s elite sprinters and in 2021 he improved his personal best to 10.45 seconds and finished second at the national championships. Thomas is targeting a huge improvement in 2022 as he competes in his first full season as a senior.