What the heck's a Triple Jump?

This lineup is from Regionals my senior year:

(My name is red, in 1st)

Event 19  Girls Triple Jump Division 1
===============================================================================
     Name                        Year School            Seed Mark           
===============================================================================
Flight 1  Finals
  1  Jamie Wall                    SO DeForest           28-06.00        
  2  Emily Heck                    SO Madison East       29-00.00        
  3  Emily Gamm                    SO Waunakee           31-01.00        
  4  Jaci Vanden Brook             JR Waunakee           31-11.00        
  5  Sam Scheel                    SO Waunakee           32-02.00        
  6  Darcy Dean                    SO Middleton          32-03.00        
  7  Briana Kernen                 SR Sun Prairie        32-06.00        
  8  Elena Thompson                SO Middleton          32-07.00        
  9  Jessica Maiers                JR DeForest           32-10.00        
 10  Shannon McCauley              SO Middleton          33-07.00        
 11  Cierra Hotchkiss              FR Madison La F       33-11.00        
 12  KeKe Burks                    JR Madison La F       34-00.00        
 13  Leigha Hodge                  JR Madison La F       34-11.00        
 14  Marta Pardee                  SR Madison Memo       35-06.00 

When I tell people I do triple jump, the reaction is usually something along the lines of "oh....so what...that's just like...3 jumps...er...?". So I decided to share with the world the magicallity that is triple jump. And yes, "magicallity" is indeed a word, or at least it is now. Yes, the triple jump is three "jumps", but it's really defined as a hop, step, and a jump.  The approach for a triple jump should be relatively the same distance as your long jump approach, maybe a little shorter. Unlike in long jump, you don't necessarily want to be bolting up to the board at top speed. Don't get me wrong, you want to be going basically as fast as you can, but it's a more controlled run than a long jump approach. Your first jump should not be too high, or you will kill your momentum for the rest of the jump. Once you have left the ground, you want your jumping leg to cycle around, basically kicking your butt, before it hits the ground to take off for your second jump. This will keep your first jump more controlled, and it will help your foot to be flat for your landing. Now, when you're in the air on your first jump, your non-jumping leg should be kicked back almost straight so that when you transition into your second jump, or step, you will have more momentum by swinging your leg forwards all the way until your knee is parallel with the ground. After your second time taking off the jumping leg, you will switch your landing/jumping leg, and jump as high and as far as you possibly can, with what speed you have left, into the pit. The goal is to make all three phases fairly equal, with your third phase being your largest. The hardest part for most triple jumpers is getting the second phase to be longer. It takes a lot of practice and conscious thought in order to improve the second phase. The jump is measured from the take-off board, to the furthest back dent of where your feet land in the sand.

If you'd like to see me doing a triple jump, go to 00:34 of this video (click here) of my sectionals (where I placed 1st...by over a foot).