Why has long jump declined so horribly?

Dear ukathleticcoach:

The average height of NBA players is actually down from the 1980s (6'7" down to 6'6"). This is due to the fact that the game of basketball has become much more a skill/speed-based sport - at least in the boys'/mens' divisions.

The average height of an US male is just under 5'10. In Canada the height is just under 5'9.

The average height in general is going up (male and female).

Anyone under 6'7" in the NBA is required to play guard. Since most males are not 6'7 there is an ever greater emphasis on guard-play (Curry, Durant, Irving, etc.)

One of your best "School Boy" long jumpers in the UK and a former training partner of Greg Rutherford is 6'5-6'6. He now is on your national 7s Rugby team squad.

Tall athletes can do long jump !!!! I mentioned before if you are tall AND athletic in the US you are going to play basketball or football, the financial rewards are just too tempting to NOT play; full athletic scholarships that can be worth up to $50,000 dollars a year and NBA minimum salaries that are around $450,000, the NFL minimum is $435,000 ; NOBODY is paid the minimum (3 of my friends played in the NBA).

Below are high school, college, and "YMCA" basketball players highlight videos. Most of the athletes are BELOW 6'4".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpCrFn7MQ8k

Your welcome lulz !!!

ironside wrote:

My age is irrelevant. Again, look up the word simultaneous. Read everything I have stated on this thread. I am fully aware of 100m long jump correlation. You are making my point. You are stating Carl Lewis was a great sprinter and long jumper for six years. Carl Lewis was a great long jumper for over sixteen years. Carl Lewis was able to be a great long jumper without being a great sprinter. We are not going back and forth over the meaning of simultaneous. The OP wanted a discussion on why long jump performance has lagged. Please focus.

adjective

1.

existing, occurring, or operating at the same time; concurrent:

simultaneous movements; simultaneous translation.

Carl Lewis was simultaneously the dominant sprinter and long jumper for many years.

They should implement quick sand then we'll see records tumble.

I cannot believe you want to keep doing this. You read off the meaning of simultaneous but you won't acknowledge Lewis was able to be a great long jumper when Lewis was no longer a great sprinter in 1996. Six of sixteen years is not simultaneous.

Any overlap is simultaneous.

You are looking less intelligent as you type. The difference between concurrent and simultaneous:

Concurrent: overlap in duration

Simultaneous: at the same time

ironside wrote:

You are looking less intelligent as you type. The difference between concurrent and simultaneous:

Concurrent: overlap in duration

Simultaneous: at the same time

Who are you talking to mate. Its all in your head.

Star. He changed his name.

If the NBA is taking track talent, it is in the Discus and High Jump.

And since many folks like to talk about the athleticism of Lebron James, I'll say this... 6'8"/260, with a wingspan of 2.15m+, and ridiculously athletic, is THE prototype for 70m+ Discus.

Dear Been Around:

Discus and high jump; no argument from me.

But there are way, way, way more sprinters, jumpers, decathletes, hurdlers, long-sprinters, and middle-distance (500, 600, 800, 1000m) studs in basketball than people want to admit or can even recognize.

Elite level athletes who were "basketball players".

Andre De Grasse - the only reason he ran track in high school is because he could not get 4 other guys to get a high school basketball team together.

Result - 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist.

Damian Warner - another "basketball player" who was encouraged to run track instead.

Result - 2015 World Decathlon Silver Medalist. 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist.

Trey Hardee - another "basketball player" who "tried" track in high school - pole vault.

Result - 2009 Decathlon World Champion, 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist

Donald Thomas - a Division 2 basketball player came to track in college on bet, due to a boast, and was challenged by the track team to "put up, or shut up". He "put up, and then some".

Result - 2007 World High Jump Champion - ONLY 9 months of high jump training, Olympic regular, Diamond League regular

Concurrent and simultaneous mean the same thing, nitwit.

Why are you cowardly attacking me under a faux unregistered name? Look up difference between concurrent and simultaneous. Referring to me as nitwit does not make others believe you are smart.

Ok, according to T&FN, from 1980-1996 (17 years inclusive), Lewis ranked #1 in the 100m 7 times with the last top ranking coming in 1988, and including 1987 as a #1, where T&FN had doper Ben Johnson as #1. After 1991, Lewis' 100m dropped off as he never ran under 10 seconds again and never won another medal. During that same time span Lewis ranked #1 in the LJ 10 times, with his last top ranking in 1996. After his time as the top 100m runner ended, Lewis would go on to win two more Olympic gold medals in the LJ.

Doubtful Lewis would have medaled in 1980 in either event as he only ranked #6 that year in the LJ and #7 in the 100m.

ironside wrote:

My age is irrelevant. Again, look up the word simultaneous. Read everything I have stated on this thread. I am fully aware of 100m long jump correlation. You are making my point. You are stating Carl Lewis was a great sprinter and long jumper for six years. Carl Lewis was a great long jumper for over sixteen years. Carl Lewis was able to be a great long jumper without being a great sprinter. We are not going back and forth over the meaning of simultaneous. The OP wanted a discussion on why long jump performance has lagged. Please focus.

Carl Lewis simultaneously was the best long jumper and the best sprinter in the world for a long time. That's a fact, no discussion needed for this.

Carl Lewis was a top long jumper even when he not anymore was the best sprinter? That's true - and totally irrelevant for the point in question.

The Long Jump for many decades is one of the weakest events in depth.

7.80m are often enough to reach the final (best 8) at a global championships. 8.20m for a medal and 8.35m for Gold. At the moment the only weaker event (men) is the 400m hurdles.

I think it has to do that the Long Jump probably is the most "boring" event in training, no comparison for example to the Pole Vault.

Carl Lewis is still dominating the all-time list (and easily would have won any competition in the last years) - 30+ years after his prime. Jesse Owens would be in contention for a medal - 80 years after his prime.

It's just a communication problem. Ironside doesn't understand English.

ironside? you mean ironhead. wrote:

Were you alive in the 80s? Lewis was the best sprinter and long jumper simultaneously for at least 6 years.

Carl Lewis was (one of) the best sprinter and long jumper for at least 10 years.

It is now a lot harder to get little blue pills (the type that don't keep you up all night) and tainted hormonal meds designed for short kids in California. So naturally long jump as an event has gone backwards. It's like 1500m to 10k.