Colin Jackson
A Welsh hurdling technician whose world record stood for nearly 13 years, dominating European athletics with relentless precision.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Welsh athlete·Birthday: February 18·Generation X
Biography
Colin Jackson's career was a masterclass in technical excellence and sustained dominance, defined less by flamboyant power and more by the ruthless efficiency of his stride. The Cardiff-born athlete approached the 110-meter hurdles as a complex puzzle to be solved, refining his start, his trail leg, and his rhythm between the barriers to a degree few could match. While an Olympic gold medal famously eluded him, his consistency elsewhere was staggering: he was the undefeated king of Europe for over a decade, a two-time world champion, and a breaker of world records that seemed to be carved in stone. His time of 12.91 seconds, set in 1993, endured as the global standard for nearly thirteen years, a testament to its perfection. Jackson's legacy is that of an athlete who maximized every gram of his talent through preparation and poise, setting a technical benchmark that influenced a generation of hurdlers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Colin was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set a world record of 12.91 seconds in the 110m hurdles in 1993 that stood for nearly 13 years.
- Won the 110m hurdles World Championship gold medal in 1993 and 1999.
- Remained undefeated at the European Championships from 1990 to 2002, winning gold three consecutive times.
- His world record in the 60m hurdles, set in 1994, stood for an astonishing 27 years.
Did You Know?
He co-holds the Welsh record for the 60 meters indoors (6.51 seconds).
Jackson is a fluent Welsh speaker and has presented television programs in the language.
He was a contestant on the UK reality show 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2005.
He never won an Olympic gold medal; his best finish was silver in 1988.
“The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.”
