The event as a whole and as for depth of the event has been in decline for over a decade. If a few of the top guys do not compete, the event gets exposed for its lack of depth.
The problem is, and it starts at the high school level, is that many LJ coaches today can't coach the event. Many spend too much time (days of the week) jumping and not enough time sprinting. More times than not, their athletes are jumping on dead legs. Also kids today foul a lot more than in the past, due to inconsistent approach runs. Many coaches start the season with a short approach and then change it to a longer one as the season progresses. Get one approach (18 to 22 steps) and keep it there. As the athlete gets faster, just move the starting mark back appropriately, this is done in practice and after run-thrus at the meet. With all we know about effective weight training, physics, faster runways and nutrition, athletes should be jumping further.
I also notice that not as many jumpers use the 2 1/2 hitch kick. Most are hang jumpers today. Using the hitch kick enables you to run off of the board more effectively.