why are all the best jumpers from the 80s and 90s

Cocaine is a helluva drug

ya but todays athletes have crack cocaine

that's way more potent

Uh, yeah. I think that was around then. The crack heyday was the 80s/90s wasn't it? Do people still even smoke crack?

800 analyzer wrote:

Uh, yeah. I think that was around then. The crack heyday was the 80s/90s wasn't it? Do people still even smoke crack?

I think jamin does

Part of it seems to be that guys who have a shot at making it in the 100m are less likely to jump nowadays, but that doesn't seem to be all of it.

SG, coach d, other folks on the board with sprint / jumps backgrounds - anything to say on this subject?

The sad state of the LJ and the diminishing number of guys who can reliably break 45 in the 400m strike me as bad signs for the future of the sport. I'm tempted to call this the Bolt effect, but it seems to have predated him.

Usain - it's not too late! Go for that crazy 400m / LJ double in Rio and save the sport!

The metric system.

The best long jumpers were all American, except products of the mighty Soviet athlete factory like Emmiyan.

And to Americans, the big deal with the long jump was going "29 feet" again to beat Bob Beamon. So they watched Carl Lewis intently as he approached that distance and failed. Then they reacted with modest interest when Powell finally broke Beamon's mark. And then they didn't give a rip about it, until the end of time.

If they knew how far 9 meters was, and how close the record is to it, they might change their minds. Unfortunately the 100-meter distance clearly marked out right next to the LJ isn't enough to clear up the confusion. For all they know, a little girl might jump 9 meters. So there is no interest in America for anyone to jump that far, so there's no money in it, so nobody makes a serious effort to be that good a jumper.

Maybe.

I'm all metric, I'm in science for a living. But using meters to measure jumps, especially HJ, just doesnt work.

They ought to measure JT in km if they are using meters for the HJ.

At least display the results in both.

Isn't 2.45 a nice round number, as opposed to mixed units and fractions? Bound-a-renko's gone 2.41, no fourths or halves, 4cm off the WR.

American meets do display in both, though they're measured metrically as has been the IAAF rule for about 50 years now. All it does is encourage US fans to never learn the metric distances.

When Sotomayor broke the "8 foot" barrier, the US lost interest in HJ too. The 2.5 meter barrier looms, but if nobody knows how high that is, oh well.

Global warming has affected the gravitational pull of the Earth. The increased strength of gravity makes it harder to jump high or far as it was 25-30 years ago. If we all start recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles, HJers will be reaching 9' by the middle of this century.

The increase in gravity has the opposite affect on sprinters. They run using the " pose" technique, whereby they " fall" forward. Global warming has led to the rise of Usain Bolt and his amazing times.

this might be the dumbest post I've ever read, and I've read some pretty dumb stuff.If "29ft" was the case, then how about 30? Carl was using various illegal agents, period. Mike had a freak jump, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had some help, too. Look at the women's LJ. What, was 24ft the magic mark? Give me a break... you are a serious idiot!

I apologize for going on the rag at you, BW... you're right, and I will register a name and quit being such a cowardly little snot.

I will also see a doctor to check if I am A Duck, and if so I'll have an operation ASAP.

While at Church this morning, I saw my doc... I asked him if I'm A Duck? He looked at me for a few moments and concluded that I am indeed not A Duck.

So, as the original post still stands, BW, you are an idiot!

The average 20 something year old today didn't grow up running and jumping daily like kids did growing up in the 60's, 70's and 80's. They kids were doing ployometrics daily own there own while they played pick up sports and games. Today kids only do any athletic if it is organized by a coach. Just drive your neighborhood or park and see how many grade school kids are playing sport by themselves without a coach.

In addition, today's jump coaches are not that good. Hardly anyone does a 2 1/2 hitch kick anymore in the long jump. Also the kids can't handle the volume of jumping and plyometrics. This is because they didn't do it while growing up. With the exception of a few, we really suck in the triple jump.

TrackFan19 wrote:

The average 20 something year old today didn't grow up running and jumping daily like kids did growing up in the 60's, 70's and 80's. They kids were doing ployometrics daily own there own while they played pick up sports and games. Today kids only do any athletic if it is organized by a coach. Just drive your neighborhood or park and see how many grade school kids are playing sport by themselves without a coach.

In addition, today's jump coaches are not that good. Hardly anyone does a 2 1/2 hitch kick anymore in the long jump. Also the kids can't handle the volume of jumping and plyometrics. This is because they didn't do it while growing up. With the exception of a few, we really suck in the triple jump.

There might be a small amount of validity here, but for the most part, no.

As for your hitch-kick... complete BS. The moment that the tip of your shoe leaves the ground, you have stopped applying force to the ground... in other words, in-air technique matters VERY LITTLE! Take a look at Robert Emmiyan...

How's that for your 2 1/2 hitch-kick theory?

Can an athlete learn how to have an "active landing" to increase air-time upon landing... yes. But basic physics tells us that in-air technique matters very little.

Steroids ,

pretty dam obvious for the long jump.

nessary tendon strength and basic strength at joints

at take-off not as easy to obtain without there use .

and speed limited to force joints can handle and load so cut off

point to benefit of added speed .

also extra recovery from use very advantageous to high

impact event ,often hear jumpers nowadays say that have to take it easy or rest alittle longer due to being sore ,injured.

so sprinters and there igf-1 /sarms only going to take you so far in long jump , still lack that brute strength that

get from dianodol ,etc ,

more advantageous in triple jump ,the added speed but still

as much as joints and technique can handle .