Inane HJ trivia

[tafnut21]

With a recent discussion of Franklin Jacobs and his "over the head" record, I found myself wondering about a similar distinction.

It occurred to me that the taller the jumper, the harder it is to approach the Jacobs record of jumping higher than your own height. (Kind of like the younger golfers being less likely to "shoot thier age".)

So who lay claim to being the tallest jumper to "jump their height"?

[Per Andersen]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

We did that a couple of months ago and I think the answer was Freitag since he is now taller than Clinger.

[The Fern]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

Wilt Chamberlain high jumped at Kansas, but I do not think he jumped his height. Dave Winfield is very tall as well and I think he jumped 6'10" at Minnesota. How tall is Freitag?

[The King]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

Freitang is 204cm (which is just over 6ft 8in) according to Tilastopaja. Oh, and by the way it's his birthday today!

http://www.tilastopaja.net/db/atm.asp?ID=18661

[tafnut21]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

>We did that a couple of months ago and I think the answer was Freitag since he is now taller than Clinger.


Checked that thread...sorry to repeat, HOWEVER..

a couple of things still are unsettled.

The 04 ATFS Annual still lists Freitag's height as 6-8.25/2.04, (as noted by King) while the T&FN World Rankings list it as 6-8.75/2.05. Clinger is carried in both places as 6-9/2.06.

The prior thread also mused about basketballers as high jumpers (e.g. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain). Russell apparently jumped 6-9/2.06 while at USF. His height was listed as 6-9, 6-10 or 6-9.5 depending on the source.

Chamberlain (as noted by Ed.Fern) did not clear his height (2.16), but was the Big-Eight HJ Co-Champ in 1958.

Baseball player Winfield stood only 6-6/1.98.

Although Clinger and Freitag are clearly the tallest world-class leapers, the tallest to clear thier own height is likely a basketball player who would not make the annual top 50.

So the true answer may therefore be:

Ryan Hollins of UCLA, who stands 2.11/6-11 and cleared 2.14/7-0.25 in 2003.

[The Fern]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

Wilt only jumped 6'6" in winning the Big 8 in '58 and Dave was only 6'6".

BUT I did coach a kid in New Jersey in '89 named Jim Sabo who went on Bowdoin College. He stood 6'10" tall and I am pretty darn sure he jumped 6'10" while at Bowdoin. I have just e-mailed the coach up there to check it. Jim will be happy toknow he holds this lofty place in sport trivia.

[The Fern]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

And if that's all true then Hollins wins.

[tafnut]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

tafnut21? No relation, I hope!

[buckeye II]

Re: Inane HJ trivia

The University of Toledo brought a basketball player out for the MAC Championship in the early 80's. I believe the kid was 7' tall and jumped 7'1". I am not positive about the exacts. The name coming to me is Sonneburg or something similar. Can anyone help out? Jesse? I would look this up, but as the title suggests, it is inane trivia. Yea, that or I'm just too lazy this morning.