Henry Frayne (OM 2007)

Well done to Henry Frayne (OM 2007) who will represent Australia at an Olympic Games for the third time this year, in the Men’s Long Jump event. Henry’s selection for the Tokyo Games follows his selection for London 2012 and Rio 2016, and marks a comeback from injury that impacted much of the 2018/19 season.

A boarder at Melbourne Grammar for one year, Henry certainly made his mark. His Melbourne Grammar School records in the U17 and Open Long Jump and Triple Jump remain unbroken.

Originally hailing from South Australia, Henry decided to join our School community for his final year of secondary schooling to work with a Melbourne-based coach, reflecting his deep commitment to his sport.

Henry continued his connection with the School beyond Year 12, serving as an Athletics Coach from 2008 – 2010.

Since his time with us, Henry has established himself as a world-class high and triple jumper. He has previously been ranked number four in the world in Men’s Long Jump, and heads into the Games ranked 21.

Since 2010, Henry has built a long list of outstanding results in international Long Jump competitions, including a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in 2012, and fourth place at the World (Continental) Cup in both 2014 and 2018. In 2010 he also achieved his first national triple jump title win.

In the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Henry established a Games record with an 8.34m leap during the qualifying round—the fourth best result in Australian Long Jump history—and took silver in the final with a jump of 8.33m. His Olympic effort comes on the heels of his first national long jump title, achieved this year with a leap of 7.97m.

Henry has overcome significant hardship on his road to the Games this year and his selection is a testament to his resilience and perseverance.

“I have battled along this season struggling with a number of off-track challenges, including finishing my law degree, dealing with the passing away of my close friend and manager, and preparing overseas since May without my coach due to COVID-19,” he says. “These stresses have challenged me beyond any other time in my career and presented a less that optimal foundation for a highly successful Tokyo Games, however I intend to make the best out of what has been a character building year!”

We wish you every success Henry. You will compete with the energy of the Melbourne Grammar community behind you.