Don Pellman a 4-foot high jumper — try that when you’re 94!
This took a while to nail down. But even now, it takes my breath away. Almost a week ago, Weia Reinboud of the Netherlands sent me a link to the results of the Bay Area Senior Games — an April 10-11 track meet held at Stanford. Buried therein was this line for the M90 high jump: “1 Pellman, Donald M94 4-00.00 1.21m.” To knowing eyes, this is a stunner. It means Don had raised his own world age-group record in the high jump by more than 4 inches! (He cleared 1.11, or 3-7 3/4, at the Huntsman World Senior Games in 2005.) I couldn’t believe it, and neither could Weia.
Don used a dive straddle at a September 2005 indoor meet in Colorado.
So I wrote to the meet organizers.
Last night I got this note from Anne Warner Cribbs, president of the 2010 Bay Area Senior Games: “Ken, this is correct. Sean from Record Timing will file the paperwork.”
Sean is Sean Laughlin of Record Timing in San Francisco.
When I informed Weia, the keeper of all HJ records, she was nearly speechless, mustering only this response: “Wow!!!”
On the 2010 Age-Graded Tables, a 1.21 for M90 is equivalent to an open (ages 20-30 mark) of 2.497 — or 8 feet 2 inches.
Wow.
12 Responses
I had to update my site and rewrote it partially: http://home.xmsnet.nl/weiatletiek/RecPyrEng.html
There is one thing I am wondering: the picture of Don shows him straddling and his hands are already on the pit. That is not allowed… I hope that was not the case when he jumped his last record.
I meant rule 13 of WMA:
13. HIGH JUMP / POLE VAULT
(1) Both feet must be off the ground during the vault.
(2) Masters competitors are allowed to touch the landing area before clearing the bar but may not use the landing area to any
advantage as determined by the Field Judge
You don’t have to believe it. I was there. Don made a valiant attempt, but as I recall he did not clear 4 feet. The high jump at this year’s Bay Area Senior Games was one of the worst-officiated events I’ve ever attended. Or perhaps I should say it wasn’t really officiated at all. The Stanford track team was competing at U.C. Berkeley that day, and apparently nearly all the certificated officials in the Bay Area were at Berkeley for the college meet. We “senior” athletes (at least in the high jump) were left with a handful of willing, enthusiastic volunteers who, unfortunately, didn’t seem like they had ever attended a track meet, let alone officiate at one. At one height, when several jumpers pointed out that the crossbar looked uneven–one end higher than the other–we were told that since the measurement at the middle of the bar was the intended height, there was no need to “even out” the ends of the bar. Some jumpers–like M55 Donald Watson, who jumped an exemplary 1.68 that day–took care to make sure their heights were accurately measured and recorded. Ms. Cribbs herself was not present at the high jump; she can only verify what’s on the piece of paper that the volunteers submitted at the end of the meet. But under the circumstances, I doubt that piece of paper can stand as credible evidence that any world record was achieved. On the bright side, of course, all of us who attended the Senior Games did receive goodie bags filled with product samples sporting snazzy corporate logos. And I heard the pickle-ball matches were well-played indeed!
Oops. You didn’t video him??
Sorry, Weia, no video I know of.
FYI. 4 feet is 1.22 m
Yup. My Big Gold Book shows 1.21 as 3-11 1/2. But the results site didn’t specify which was the actual measurement. I’m still trying to nail this down.
4 feet is just less than 1.22. It has to been rounded down when imperially measured.
Were there 3 USATF certified officials that observed the bar height measurement before the “record” jump? Was a record application form filled out and signed by these officials?
I’ve written to Sean Laughlin and Don’s sons for more information. So far: crickets.
Information of Don (via Ken) led me to disregard the jump. There must be some mistake in the results of the meet.
Got this note today from Ned — one of Don’s sons:
Ken:
My dad does not remember what height it was exactly and knowing that the meet most likely was not USTAF sanctioned anyway, not worth any more follow up at this time.
Ned Pellmann
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