Diamond Race Heroes - Christian Taylor

For many Diamond League observers, 2015 will go down as the year of the triple jump. From Doha to Brussels, this was a season dominated by an exhilarating battle between Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Christian Taylor. 

It was Taylor who triumphed eventually, taking advantage of Pichardo's early exit at the Diamond Race final in Brussels. The anti-climactic end, however, did nothing to cheapen what had been a historic duel. 

For Taylor, meanwhile, his incredible Diamond Race comeback in the second half of the season confirmed his reputation as one of the great Diamond League champions. 

Taylor's Diamond League story began back in 2012. Just a year before, he had burst onto the international scene with a surprise gold medal win at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. 

His 2012 season saw an astonishing final flurry, as Taylor took Diamond League victories in London and Stockholm, returned to the British capital to win Olympic gold, before putting the cherry on the cake by claiming his first Diamond Trophy with a second place finish in Zürich. 

Now world and Olympic champion, the 2012 Diamond Race victory would be the first triumph in a long period of Diamond League dominance. He was not relinquished his hold of the Diamond Trophy since then. 

In 2013, he fought an epic, season long battle with Will Claye, taking late victories in Glasgow and Zürich to win the Diamond Race by just four points. It was not the first, nor would it be the last time that Taylor had triumphed after a surge late in the season.

But it was in 2015 that Taylor faced his biggest challenge. With Pedro Pablo Pichardo surging into an almost unassailable lead early in the season, Taylor needed another huge turnaround to defend his title. He started the resurgence in Birmingham, a meeting at which he consistently performs well. Further victories in Lausanne, Monaco and Brussels, as well as an epic jump to regain his world title in Beijing, and Taylor's triumph over Pichardo was complete. 

The Cuban will be back, and triple jump fans can look forward to a duel for the ages. “I knew I needed something special, because Pichardo is a phenomenal jumper,” said Taylor earlier this year. He did need something special. And he delivered it as only a true champion can.