Does anyone remember a slump as deep or prolonged, measured by depth and quality of performances relative to the world record, as the last 17 years in the men's high jump ?
The throws since better drug enforcement kicked in, and the sprints and long jump after Mexico City, have to be excluded due to special circumstances.
The world record has stood at 2.45 for 11 years (not that unusual), but no-one has ever even equaled the first of Soto's WRs (2.43), set 16 years ago. We have not seen a jump higher than 2.40 in 17 years (3 men did it in the prior 3 years). That's 2.1% short of the record, so the equivalent would be if no-one had broken 9.98 in the 100, 44.08 in the 400, 3:30.29 in the 1500 or 13.18 in the 110H since 1987!
The throws since better drug enforcement kicked in, and the sprints and long jump after Mexico City, have to be excluded due to special circumstances.
The world record has stood at 2.45 for 11 years (not that unusual), but no-one has ever even equaled the first of Soto's WRs (2.43), set 16 years ago. We have not seen a jump higher than 2.40 in 17 years (3 men did it in the prior 3 years). That's 2.1% short of the record, so the equivalent would be if no-one had broken 9.98 in the 100, 44.08 in the 400, 3:30.29 in the 1500 or 13.18 in the 110H since 1987!
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