The Rittes went 1-4 in Paderborn.
When Germany’s
Wolfgang “Wolfie” Ritte jumped an M60 world outdoor record of 4.32 meters (14-2) in May, it seemed only a matter of time before the indoor WR fell as well. On Dec. 15, in his first indoor meet of the year, Wolfie delivered.
According to a German report, he cleared 4.10 (13-5 1/4) at
Paderborn on Dec. 15 — topping the listed WR of 4.05 (13-3 1/2) by American
John Altendorf in 2010. Results show he took fourth in the event, which was won by his M30 son
Dr. Thomas Ritte at 4.80 (15-9).
Doug “Bubba” Sparks calls Ritte the “masters Bubka” for having set so many vault records. In fact, we should start referring to Bubka as the “Kiddie Ritte.” Born in January 1953, Wolfie already holds both M55 world records. His 4.10 at age 60 is equivalent to an open mark (age 20-30) of 6.06 meters (19-10 3/4). The record jump:
2 Responses
On Facebook, John Altendorf posted:
Congratulations to Wolfgang! As I’ve discussed with him by email, it was only a matter of time before he captured that record. Phillip Carrero, you are correct. I had to check my notes about my 4.05m jump. I was 1 week short of my 64th birthday. I was on a 13’6″, 170 pound pole, gripping 13’2″ and used a 16 step run.
What an excellent looking vaulter, Great form and clearly one of the best in the world. Congratulations Wolfgang.
Leave a Reply