Masters Track News and Muse

Jim Barrineau's new mission: the M50 high jump

By weekday, Jim Barrineau is Col. James Barrineau -- chief of Army Force Management for the National Guard Bureau in Washington. By weekend, he's a jumper with Olympic pedigree. Recently, he wrote me that he's back in the high jump wars, having almost cleared 1.89 (6-2 1/4). Jim turned 50 on June 25.

Further, he writes:

"I'm jumping at the Masters Grad Prix in Lahti Finland in August. Can't make Hawaii, Canada, or Spain. Almost nailed 1.89 on Saturday. All I can say is that Thomas Zacharias must have really eaten his Wheaties to get 2M."

Zacharias is the legendary German jumper whose M50 outdoor world record of 2.00 (6-6 3/4) is Beamonesque by masters standards.

The same Zacharias shocked German masters in 1999 with announcement of his retirement.

Here's how I covered the news originally:

WR Jumper Zacharias Loses the Masters Fire

Sad news from Annette Koop's German vets newzine. Only two years after clearing an astounding 2.00 (about 6-7) at age 50, German supervet Thomas Zacharias has shocked masters again -- by calling it quits. His open letter of resignation was first posted by Annette. Our friend Udo Grady translated the post and letter for us thusly:

Master high jumper Thomas Zacharias quits!

After his great world record in the M51 with 1,90 m last summer at the Master Meet in Eberstadt, we will not see him performing further records. After only two years as an active master, he decided to quit. In an open letter to his friends he wrote:

Dear athletes, old athletes,

How disappointing it is to recognize year after year the decrease in your performance cm by cm and seconds by seconds. I started enthusiastic two years ago, but now I have to apologize that I not have the stamina and motivation to do this any longer. It was nice to meet with you and to be one of you, and my thoughts will always be with you, but my character is more like one of a comet. I am glowing only for a short period and then the fire is out. What to say, it is all in the head. The mental stress, the way I worked, it is too much for me. When I read about a competition in absence of Th. Z., I think everybody should know I hardly jump 1,80m in training and the M55 record is 1,83 m. I am only mortal like everybody. I thank the Lord for giving me the record, but he also brought me back to the floor and did show me how he cares about the "homo disportensis." He also prevented, so I couldn`t show off with my biomechanical description of my technique, which never found any recognition.You should know I am not a superstar, only a shooting or falling star, which had a long way to go and see the next spring. So long, from all my heart,

Your Thomas Zacharias

Thankfully, Col. Barrineau still hears the call of the high jump pit.

His first mission: Get the American M50 record.

That would be 1.88 (6-2) by Herm Wyatt at age 51 way back in 1983.

Godspeed, Col. Barrineau -- and a belated happy birthday!

Posted by kenstone at July 15, 2005 11:01 PM