Germaine Mason

Germaine Mason (born January 20, 1983 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican-born athlete competing in high jump. In 2006 he switched sporting allegiance, and now represents Great Britain.

He won silver and bronze medals at the World Junior Championships in 2000 and 2002 respectively, the latter event held in his hometown of Kingston. His first medal at senior level came at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, when he won a gold medal, having achieved a personal best jump of 2.34 metres. He finished fifth at the World Championships the same year.

The following seasons saw him drop to 2.25 m (2004) and 2.27 m (2005), but 2.25 metres was enough to win a bronze medal at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The medal was won jointly with Jaroslav Bába and Ştefan Vasilache.

Mason is eligible to represent Great Britain because his father David was born in London. Mason's mother persuaded him to switch allegiance, and Mason's change in nationality was ratified by athletics' governing body, the IAAF, in 2006.

Mason won a silver medal for Great Britain at the Beijing Olympics on 19th August 2008. He equalled his personal best of 2.34m, beaten only by Russia's Andrey Silnov with 2.36m.

He is coached in Texas by Sue Humphrey, who also coached Charles Austin to an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1996 Games.

His second cousin is fellow British athlete, Simeon Williamson.

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