Undoubtedly, America has produced some outstanding track and field athletes. One such athlete is Will Claye, famous for his exceptional long jump and triple jump performance.
Will is well-known for his long and triple jump skill and is an active competitor. The athlete has won the silver medal at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics in the triple jump.
In addition, he has also won two gold medals at the 2012 and 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the triple jump.
Besides, he sets a new personal best of 18.14 meters in the Southern California USATF Championships. Moreover, he is placed #3 in the world’s best triple jumper after that event.
Today, in this article, we will discuss the career of Will Claye from his early life, personal life, body measurements, and many more.
But before we jump into our article, let us have an instant glance at the quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Name | Will Claye |
| Birthdate | June 13, 1991 |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Sierra descendant |
| Birthplace | Tucson, United States |
| Father’s Name | William Claye Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Saffie Tunis |
| Siblings |
|
| Body type | Athletic |
| Height | 5’11” (180 cm) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Black |
| Education |
|
| Profession | Track and Field Athlete |
| Status | Active |
| Professional Debut | 2009 |
| Greatest achievement | Two-time gold medal in World Indoor Champion |
| Relationship status | Married |
| Wife | Queen Claye |
| Children | No |
| Social Media | |
| Net Worth | $1-$2 million |
| Track & Field Merch | Track Shoes, Equipment, Hurdles |
| Last Update | September, 2024 |
Will Claye: Early Life, Education, and Parents
The most outstanding track and field athlete, Will, was born on June 13, 1991, in Tucson, United States.
He belongs of the Sierra Leonean descent from Sierra. Thus, it is believed that he has obtained his skills from his parents.
Likewise, he is born to William Claye Sr. (father) and Saffie Tunis (mother). Both his parents are from Sierra Leone, who later shifted to the United States.
Will had an average childhood and grew up in a neighborhood filled with high crime rates. But, even though he had an average childhood, Claye lived happily with his parents and siblings, James Claye and Taiyo Smith Claye.
However, both his parents separated from each other when Clay was young. Nonetheless, Will and his brother were raised by his mother and maternal grandmother.
From a very early age, Claye loved sports, and he used to take part in many activities held in his school.
Likewise, he attended Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was awarded the USA Today’s All-USA Team in both jumps in 2008.
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Will Claye: Career
College Career
Will’s career started at his university, the University of Oklahoma, where he competed for the Oklahoma track and field team.
Furthermore, after turning eighteen in 2009, he won the NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the triple jump marking his new age.
There, Will set a new American junior record of an extraordinary 56 ft 4.75 in.
Unfortunately, in 2010, the athlete couldn’t perform from the stress caused by fractures in his leg and back last year.
Also, that same year, Will moved to the University of Florida. He started his triple jump training under the coach’s guidance, Dick Booth.
He won the 2011 NCAA Indoor National Championship with Will’s national title in the triple jump during his time there.
In 2011, Will turned his collegiate career with two NCAA titles and eight “All American” honors.
Likewise, Claye also competed at the 2011 World Championships held in Daegu, South Korea. But he came third in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump.
Professional Career
Will and fellow teammate Christian Taylor pulled out from the University of Florida after the World Championship. Later, Will also turned professional to prepare for the 2012 London Olympics.
At the 2012 London Olympics, he was able to win the Bronze medal in the long jump. After winning the medal, he holds the flag and a Bible celebrating his victory.
Luckily after a few days, he was able to win the silver medal in the triple jump. He became the first man to win medals in both the long and triple jumps at the same Olympics.
Fortunately, after turning professional, he enclosed a sponsorship deal with Nike and started training under Coach Martin Smith.
At the start of the Olympic year, Claye gave a terrific start. In the 2012 Tyson Invitational held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he commenced the triple jump of 57 ft. 0.75 inches, which happened to be his greatest jump in the elite competition.
Watch Will Claye’s performance in the Olympics >>
However, it didn’t end there as he won the 2012 IAFF World Indoor Championships, his first-ever world title.
Indeed, he is a great athlete, which can be seen from his games because Will is bettering himself and giving his best year after year.
In 2016, Claye became the first man to win medals on both the long and triple jumps after Naoto Yakima of Japan.
Further, Will again bagged a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics, followed by her personal best of 18.14 m at the UATF Championships in 2019.
Moreover, Claye also took part in Tokyo Olympics 2021, which happened after the covid-19 pandemic.
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Will Claye: Net Worth & Income
Sad to state, Claye’s net worth is unknown right now. However, as per various sources, it is assumed that Will might have a whopping net worth of $500k-$1 million.
However, Will has also earned a lot of money as prize money and bonuses from various competitions. Apart from that, he is also associated with the most reputed brand Nike.
Even though the details of the contracts have not been disclosed, there is no doubt he bags a good amount of money from that deal.
Besides, to date, Claye has earned around $25,000 from the Olympics. And similarly, about $30,000-$50,000 from other competitions in the form of prize money.
Nonetheless, if we find further information regarding his net worth, we will update you soon.
Will Claye: Body Measurements
Undoubtedly, Will lives a healthy and steady life. Indeed, Will has to take care of his diet and physique to perform better in his games.
Accurately, Zach is 73 kgs which he maintains with a lot of hard work and necessary diet plans. Besides, Claye is 5 feet and 11 inches (180 cm) tall.
Plus, without any doubt, his long legs are his secret to taking a very high jump. Further, he has beautiful black eyes and brown hair that suit him very well.
As per his birth chart horoscope, Will is a Gemini. As per astrology, people born under this zodiac sign are usually determined, motivated, and stubborn.
However, it should be noted that Will is one determined person. Because without his hard work and dedication, he would not have been in the place where he is today.
Will Claye: Personal Life & Wife
As of now, Will Claye is happily married to Queen Claye. Along with it, this beautiful couple has no kids yet. Nonetheless, Claye loves to spend time with his wife.
Whenever Claye is free or not working, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his family, friends, and wife.
However, Queen is also an American athlete; these individuals share a strong bond and are inseparable. Not to mention, Claye put the wedding proposal to Queen in the 2016 Olympics.
After dating for a long time and getting engaged in 2016, this beautiful couple decided to tie the knot in 2018.
Since then, Claye and Queen have been together, and there are no rumors of them having any problems in their marriage.
Moreover, the couples are expecting their first child in 2022. They shared the news regarding the pregnancy through social media.
Nonetheless, this beautiful couple likes to keep their personal life private. Besides, they don’t like constant media and camera attention.
Will Claye: Preparation for Olympics
Claye was already prepared for the Olympics since he didn’t know this pandemic would postpone the Olympics. So let us say every athlete was prepared for the Olympics.
But unfortunately, COVID-19 happened, and everyone had to stay at home. However, Will didn’t let this pandemic stop him, and he didn’t stop training himself for the Olympics regularly.
Besides, Will starts to take care of his body, focuses on little things to improve on, and not beat up the body.
However, in track and field in an extreme game, no matter how hard you try to give less stress to your body, ultimately it comes to joints and just the pounding on the body, the force that we’re putting into the ground.
Similarly, Will focuses on his core, foot, ankle, and weaknesses. Nonetheless, he even watched many movies to build up his mental strength.
To keep his mind in a positive state, Claye listens to good music.
However, even though the practice session was not in the field, Will practiced inside his home. Indeed, it was one different yet beautiful experience for Will.
Will Claye: Musical Journey
Apart from being an athlete, Claye is also a good rapper. His music career is a hobby rather than the professional one.
He owns a studio named elevatestudios, from where he has recorded various popular songs. To name a few of them: Dreams don’t die, Delilah, On the loose, Fire sky, Idgaf, and more.
Social Media Presence
The only social media platform you can see Will on is Instagram. However, he mostly shares pictures of himself on the track field and his training videos.
Nevertheless, if you want to know more about Will Claye, you can find it on various websites.
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Quotes
- “Even if people aren’t there in the stadium, I know the world will be watching; it will bring us together, as a people worldwide… It will be one of the most special Olympics because of the circumstances.”
- “If you put 100 percent of your focus into anything, you can succeed – whether in track or any facet of life. So I have personally decided to put 100 percent of my efforts into the track.”
- “Your coach is your outside eye and your guidance. To accomplish your goals, you have to trust who is guiding you fully.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many gold medals have Will Claye won to date?
Claye has won two gold medals in the World Indoor Championship for the triple jump (2012, 2018).
Is Will Claye a rapper?
He is not a professional rapper, but Will loves to rap, and recently, he has also launched his music video.
What happened to Will Claye?
Claye suffered from a tore Achilles while playing for the 2020 season. After the incident, he missed the entire seasonal game.
