Henry Frayne

Fast Facts

Sport: Athletics
Event: Long Jump
Olympic History: London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
Highlights: World Indoor and Commonwealth Games silver medals
Club: QE2
Year Born: 1990
State Born: SA

About Henry

South Australian born and raised, Henry Frayne started to emerge as a very talented triple jumper in his early teens. In 2007, as a 16-year-old, he followed his coach, Vasily Grishchenkov, and moved to Melbourne. On three occasions in 2008 and 2009, he raised the national junior triple jump record and placed fifth at the 2008 World Junior Championships

In 2010, he was again on the move, on this occasion to Brisbane under coach Gary Bourne. In 2011, there was a significant progression in his jumping, placing ninth in the triple jump at the IAAF World Championships and his first 17-metre jump.

In 2012 he raised his PB from 7.99m to 8.27m in just one competition. At the 2012 World Indoor Championships he won silver and later in the year he made his Olympic debut in London, where he placed ninth. Henry also competed in the triple jump in London and became just the third Australian and first since Phil May in 1968 to compete in the long and triple jump at the Olympics. Four years later in Rio, Henry placed seventh in the long jump. 

Henry started his 2018 season at the Australian Championships and Commonwealth Games trials posting a 7.67m in the qualification round and later withdrawing from the final. However, as the only athlete with an A qualifier he was selected for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. In the qualifying round he leapt a PB and Games record 8.34m (#4 Australian all-time) and in the final took silver with 8.33m. His amazing season continued in Europe with 10 consecutive 8m jumps, two Diamond League podiums and third in the Diamond League final.

Injured during the 2018/19 domestic season, he made a very late start to the season in August, opening with 8.19m – a Doha World Championships qualifier, where he competed in the qualifying rounds only. 

Henry won his first national long jump title in 2021 with a leap of 7.97m and was selected to make his third Olympic Team in Tokyo, where he competed in the long jump. 

At the Games he missed a place in the long jump by just 3 cm, finishing 14th overall, after making the finals in London and Rio.

His 13-year enduring international career continued with selection in the Australian teams for the Commonwealth Games and World Championships in 2022.

At his fourth world championships in Eugene, Henry qualified for the final, going on to place 12th In the final. Two weeks later he was sixth at his third Commonwealth Games, with a jump of 7.94m. He closed his campaign with a seasons best of 8.11m. 

His selection for the World Championships in 2023 was his 13th Australian senior team. He leapt 7.78m in the qualifying rounds in Budapest.