Last American mPV WR-holder

[Marlow]

Re: Last American mPV WR-holder

Yup! Isn't it sad to think that the event we once DOMINATED hasn't had a WR-holder in 34 years?

Why is it sad? I thought this sort of nationalism was quite passé...

Are you kidding??!! Watch the World Cup this summer and tell me if athletic nationalism is passé. I love all great athletic feats and Bolt is da bomb, but when the USA is in the event, I'm all about the Star-Spangled Banner get played at the end!

[tandfman]

Re: Last American mPV WR-holder

I would go with Billy Olson around 1985 or 1986.

1986. He had a 5.93 (19' 5½") that, despite being regarded as the WR at the time, somehow went unrecognized as the AR later on. Bubka broke it, anyway, with 5.95 (19' 6¼") at the USA Indoor Champs in the Garden.

Olson's mark was never recognized by the IAAF as the World Indoor Record. By the time they started recognizing WIR's in 1987, Bubka had already broken Olson's unofficial record.

[noone]

Re: Last American mPV WR-holder

Yup! Isn't it sad to think that the event we once DOMINATED hasn't had a WR-holder in 34 years?

Why is it sad? I thought this sort of nationalism was quite passé...

Are you kidding??!! Watch the World Cup this summer and tell me if athletic nationalism is passé. I love all great athletic feats and Bolt is da bomb, but when the USA is in the event, I'm all about the Star-Spangled Banner get played at the end!

Really? That surprises me, coming from a serious track fan.

I'm Canadian, and I am pleased when a Canadian does well (doesn't happen often any more!) but to me it's not all about "O Canada" getting played at the end.

At the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, most fans were of course new to track and they kept cheering "Go Canada go" as if they were at an Oilers hockey game and I wanted to take them by the scruff of their red necks and shake them and shout "This is track and field, you morons, not hockey or football!-- you're supposed to cheer for everybody"

[Marlow]

Re: Last American mPV WR-holder

"This is track and field, you morons, not hockey or football!-- you're supposed to cheer for everybody"

And I (we) do! But if there's a showdown between your country's athlete and another's (esp. those arrogant Murkans!) or esp in the Relays - you don't get a twinge of nationalism and start yelling for them Maple Leaves?! I think it's universal human nature to do so. If it's m100, I really do want the best guy to win, so I enjoy Bolt to the max, but if Gay were to win one . . . :wink:

[noone]

Re: Last American mPV WR-holder

"This is track and field, you morons, not hockey or football!-- you're supposed to cheer for everybody"

And I (we) do! But if there's a showdown between your country's athlete and another's (esp. those arrogant Murkans!) or esp in the Relays - you don't get a twinge of nationalism and start yelling for them Maple Leaves?! I think it's universal human nature to do so. If it's m100, I really do want the best guy to win, so I enjoy Bolt to the max, but if Gay were to win one . . . :wink:

Okay I'll let you off the hook!
I guess when you wrote "it's all about hearing the Star Spangled Banner" you were engaging in a bit of hyperbole.

One of my most enjoyable track meets that I ever attended was Gotzis by the way. There were some Austrians entered but they weren't contenders and the fans cheered for EVERYBODY!