In April 2022, the legendary Carl Lewis put out a blunt assertion on social media platform X (then Twitter) that lengthy leap was the toughest occasion in observe and discipline. “There have been 5 male world file holders [sic: breakers] within the lengthy leap since 1936,” Lewis stated. “The current out of doors file is 31 years previous… Appears fairly robust to me. What different occasion is that tough to grasp?”
In fast time, Lewis was roundly criticised and even referred to as an consideration seeker, just about according to X’s picture of being a poisonous crucible of abuse and simplistic narratives. It didn’t matter that Lewis was a nine-time Olympic gold medallist, with 4 of these within the lengthy leap in a streak that began at Los Angeles 1984 and ended at Atlanta 1996.
The Carl Lewis argument
Lewis’ rationale was that Mike Powell’s world file of 8.95m on the Tokyo World Championships in 1991 was — and remains to be — standing. The identical with Bob Beamon’s Olympic file of 8.90m set at Mexico Metropolis 1968. Beginning 1970, the boys’s excessive leap, triple leap and pole vault — the opposite three leap occasions — have seen 12, 5 and 14 athletes higher one of the best mark. Lengthy leap has seen a grand whole of 1. Of the six record-holders from 1935, Powell, Beamon and Jesse Owens have every held it for 23 years or extra.
In equity, the longevity of a world file shouldn’t at all times decide the issue stage of an occasion. If that’s the case, the ladies’s observe races ought to be the toughest of all, for the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m information have remained intact for the reason that Eighties. However Lewis’ pondering had greater than a kernel of fact — that lengthy leap was among the many hardest to grasp, if not the hardest, and the shortage of development in world file distances was one in every of its prime fallouts.
“Lengthy leap is a mix of velocity, elastic power and approach,” James Hillier, the athletics director at Reliance Basis, informed The Hindu. “If you happen to have a look at the runway information from the Olympic Video games, the winner has had the quickest occasions. The difficulty is the way you switch horizontal velocity, which may be 10 m/s or greater for prime lengthy jumpers, right into a vertical raise off the board.
“You need to hit that candy spot. You’ve got to have the ability to run quick sufficient as a result of the velocity is what carries you ahead. However you must also be operating inside your self to be able to coordinate and time a take-off. In case you are driving a automobile at 30 miles an hour, and somebody tugs the steering wheel, the automobile will simply go off slightly bit however you may appropriate it. In case you are going at 100 miles an hour, a slight tug can lead to a really unhealthy accident. It’s the similar in lengthy leaping.”
Nearly as good because it will get: A four-time Olympic champion within the lengthy leap, Carl Lewis as soon as gained 65 consecutive occasions within the self-discipline. | Photograph credit score: Getty Photos
Between the 40m runway and the leap lies the 20cm take-off board the place pin-point accuracy is non-negotiable. Leap from just a few centimetres behind and you’ll find yourself shedding that a lot distance. Leap from too shut, the margin of error for a foul shrinks.
Lewis’ greatness lay in the truth that he had mastered this tough balancing act. At Los Angeles in 1984, the American gained the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay races and the lengthy leap. 4 years later in Seoul, he once more accomplished the 100m-long leap double.
Simpler to medal
Although he by no means held the lengthy leap world file, the distances Lewis leapt have been prime draw — 8.54m in 1984, 8.72m in 1988 and eight.67m in 1992. In distinction, Brit Greg Rutherford took gold at London 2012 with 8.31m; American Jeff Henderson at Rio 2016 with 8.38m, and Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 with 8.41m and eight.48m respectively. And right this moment, the variety of elite athletes competing in each sprints and lengthy leap is near-zero.
In keeping with Powell, the lengthy leap’s stagnating distances have been a certain signal that the already robust self-discipline was regressing. In a media interplay in Bengaluru again in Could 2016, Powell had stated: “Within the 2012 Olympics, 8.12 was the bronze. If Jesse Owens’ mark of 8.13 [world record set in 1935] can win a medal in 2012, that’s extraordinary. Each different occasion has progressed.”
An element that could possibly be accountable is the shortage of rivalries. On the 1991 Worlds, when Powell set the current finest mark (8.95m), Lewis had three of his career-best jumps — 8.83m, 8.84m and eight.87m — and one wind-assisted mark of 8.91m which was higher than Beamon’s then world file (8.90m). Lewis had the truth is come into Tokyo unbeaten in 65 consecutive lengthy leap occasions, “decided to interrupt the world file that night time”.
“I used to be on a mission,” Powell recollected. “Carl had simply damaged the world file within the 100m. And the important thing to leaping lengthy is operating quick. I needed to break the file to beat him! On prime of that, I hated Carl. He was my idol at first however after I began competing, I assumed I needed to demonise him. He was the man within the sport. However I checked out him like one other to beat.”
Nevertheless, if World Athletics, as introduced this February, goes forward and trials a “take-off zone” as a substitute of a board and begins measuring distances from the purpose athletes develop into airborne, it will imply the top of the lengthy leap as we now have identified it, for it removes the motivation to grasp the proper take-off. It might additionally probably produce larger jumps.
In rarefied air: Bob Beamon shocked the world on the 1968 Olympics in high-altitude Mexico Metropolis, enhancing the lengthy leap world file by a staggering 55cm. | Photograph credit score: Getty Photos
“I assume it helps what I’ve been saying, that lengthy leap is essentially the most tough,” Lewis seethed on X. “This could simply get rid of essentially the most tough talent from the occasion. Simply make the basket bigger without cost throws as a result of too many individuals miss them.”
Carry the sprinters again
Hillier, although, is on the fence, for now, and even felt it could possibly be transfer if it brings the sprinters, like Lewis in his heyday, again. “It’s set as much as make the occasion a bit extra thrilling, however has not been communicated effectively,” the Welshman stated. “However world information might need to be reset, like in javelin for instance the place they adjusted the load after Uwe Hohn threw it 105m [104.80m]. That file has been taken off the books.
“For me, it’s about storytelling and on the observe, it’s simple to see a narrative unfold. You will notice somebody within the lead initially, then another person takes over after which somebody will come by on the finish. That’s the story unfolding for you. In discipline occasions that story must be informed higher and one thing that has been missed by tv. I might say it may be extra thrilling as a result of it goes on longer and might maintain your consideration.
“Marcell Jacobs, who gained the 100m at Tokyo 2020, was a sprinter-long jumper after which gave up lengthy leap to dash. So it has develop into a bit much less cool. If it [the change] will get one of the best athletes, one of the best sprinters, to be lengthy jumpers, that may be good.”
Revealed – December 06, 2024 11:12 pm IST