Is Gail Devers the greatest short athlete ever?

[JMysterio]

Are you talking only about track and field athletes? Because outside of track and field there have been a lot of great short women, like Simone Biles.

Track and Field.

[TN1965]

A few initialized names---
SAFP (Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce)
ETH (Elaine Thompson Herah, but without the hyphen)
KK (Konstanze Klosterhalfen)
SMU (Shaunae Miller-Uibo)
MJ (Well, could be any of 3--Michael Jordan, Michael Johnson, orr Marion Jones)
SFH (Suzy Favor Hamilton)
Mondo (aka Armand)

LOL (Laugh out Loud or Lots of Love)

VCB (Veronica Campbell Brown).
EPSP (Elinor Pierre St Pierre).

[noone]

EPSP (Elinor Pierre St Pierre).

That would be a fantastic name, but it's Purrier St.Pierre

[aaronk]

That would be a fantastic name, but it's Purrier St.Pierre

OOPS!
My bad!
I know that, so blame it on my wandering mind!

OOPS again!
I see it wasn't ME who made that mistake!!
LOL

[DrJay]

Muggsy Bogues. 5’3”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Bogues

[KDFINE]

Muggsy Bogues. 5’3”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Bogues

Lets stick with Track & Field before we start talking about gymnists and jockeys and flyweights and ...

[NotDutra5]

Shelly Ann Fraser Price...certainly no slouch!!!!!

You're slouching again.

[FOXO1]

I'd say 5'5" is about average for a 100 meter female. Devers never stood out as being dwarfed by her peers when she was active, so it's not like she was rounding up to 5'3", and 5'3" is not far from average. Inger Miller was 5'4", Juliet Cuthbert 5'3", Lauryn Williams 5'3"...

[DET59]

5 foot 3 inches.

5'8 Franklin Jacobs jumping 7.7.25 indoor WR when the absolute world records was 7'7.5 ? Maybe the greatest "short" athlete in track and field ever?

[lonewolf]

5'8 Franklin Jacobs jumping 7.7.25 indoor WR when the absolute world records was 7'7.5 ? Maybe the greatest "short" athlete in track and field ever?

Gets my vote.

[noone]

5'8 Franklin Jacobs jumping 7.7.25 indoor WR when the absolute world records was 7'7.5 ? Maybe the greatest "short" athlete in track and field ever?

I have long maintained (and have long been mocked for my belief) that height is overrated when it comes to high jumping. Unlike basketball, where the tall athlete has a huge advantage because what matters is the height of the arms extended over the head, in high jump it is the height of the feet when jumping that matters, and everyone's feet start out even with the ground.

[lonewolf]

I have long maintained (and have long been mocked for my belief) that height is overrated when it comes to high jumping.

i suspect you are in a minority of one.

[noone]

i suspect you are in a minority of one.

How come there are no 7 ft tall high jumpers, if height is so important?

[lonewolf]

How come there are no 7 ft tall high jumpers if height is so important?

For the same reason there are no 4 ft tall elite high jumpers or 120# shotputters, discus, or hammer throwers. There is an optimum range of physical attributes for every event.
Everyone is entitled to believe anything but I don't see this as a debatable subject.

[Jshapco2]

How about Greg Duplantis clearing 5.80 while being 5'5" or 5'6"? I wonder how high Greg could have jumped with the same speed but being about 6' tall.... if only he had some genetical close relative for us to compare? Hehe