Olympics 2016: Derek Drouin wins gold medal in men’s high jump

Canadian Derek Drouin can jump. In fact, he can jump over a height that no one else in the world could on Tuesday night in Rio. Drouin’s high jump of 2.38 meters (7’9.75) was good enough to win the Olympic gold medal.

Drouin cleared 2.38 meters on his first attempt to clinch the gold medal as Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim won silver with a leap of 2.36 meters.

Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko decided to pass on 2.38 to make one final attempt to stick with Drouin, but the Ukranian missed his attempt at 2.40 meters, and the gold was Drouin’s. Bondarenko won bronze. Erik Kynard Jr. of the U.S. finished sixth.

Russia’s Ivan Ukhov won gold in 2012, but Russia was banned from the Olympic Games by the IAAF because of a state-run doping program. Kynard won the silver medal in London and three men -- Barshim, Drouin and Robert Grabarz of Great Britain -- tied for bronze.

Drouin was an NCAA champion for Indiana as a collegiate star. He even took the time to explain to SB Nation that NBA dunk champion Aaron Gordon wouldn’t do quite as well as people thought he would in the high jump. Now a gold medalist, maybe Drouin should try the dunk contest next.