USATF Masters Hall of Fame 2015: Q&A with John Altendorf
John Altendorf has been a pole vault hero of mine for years — he provides so much record fodder. He’s the listed M65 outdoor WR man at 3.89 (12-9) and indoor WR holder at 3.86 meters (12-8). And he does it all in a fire-engine-red crash helmet. Gotta love it. At long last, he’s been recognized by the USATF Masters T&F Hall of Fame Committee. He joins such legendary vaulters as Nadine O’Connor, Jim Vernon, Leonore McDaniels and Boo Morcom. Now 69, John responded to my queries Dec. 11.
John soars to victory at 2010 Sacto masters nationals. Photo by Chris Stone
Masterstrack.com: When and how did you learn of your induction into the Class of 2015?
John Altendorf: 12/4/2015 by email from Mary Trotto.
What was your reaction to the honor, and what does it mean to you?
I was surprised, and pleased but also felt frustrated that my last three national/world competitions didn’t live up to that level of performance.
What aspects of your career helped you gain this honor?
Staying with training, especially after so many pulled muscles during my first three years getting my body in shape to tolerate the stresses of the vault. And of course all the support from other masters vaulters and several coaches, and especially from my friend and main coach Dan West.
Unlike other Halls of Fame, members continue their athletic and admin careers. What are your own goals as a masters athlete or administrator? How long can you keep this up?
As long as it continues to be fun, and I have reasonable age-graded success, I expect to keep going. And in three months I turn 70 and that provides the opportunity to strive to achieve new records.
What is the most prized moment of your masters career?
I was pretty excited when I made my first world record, a masters record that had held for 35 years. As an aside, that record belonged to Herbert Schmidt of Germany. When I asked Wolfgang Ritte if he knew of Herbert, Wolfgang said “He made that record when he was coaching me for the Junior Worlds.” Of course Wolfgang is the vaulter that blew away my M60 age group records.
Another highlight was being the first vaulter over 60 to reach the round-number heights of 13 feet and 4 meters. Since then there has been one other, Wolfgang! More are very likely to do that in the near future.
Anything else readers should know about you or your career?
It has been quite a ride. I’m just hoping I can continue for many more years. And thanks again to all those athletes that have supported me with coaching and cheering.
10 Responses
Congratulations to John, a good guy and a wonderful vaulter. He won’t tell you that he’s better than you are: He just grabs a pole, runs down the runway, and clears the bar to demonstrate that he can, in fact, go higher than you.
I appreciate and admire people like John.
John, congratulations all over the place!!
Merry Christmas and best of health for the coming year. Vault high and enjoy it!
So well deserved John!! Congrats Brutha!!
John Altendorf as far as master vaulters go,without you there would be no us. It has been an honor to know you. May you continue to thrive. You are the gold standard. Congrats buddy.
Nice photo. Looks like it could be an amputee world record….
Congratulations John!
You inspire me every time I have the opportunity to watch you vault. A well deserved honor!
Congratulations John.
Health and many success for the coming year.
Vault high and enjoy it
Best regards
Wolfgang Ritte
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and any other holiday you celebrate this time of year. Best wishes for a healthy and productive 2016. I look forward to seeing you at some event.
Congratulations John. You’re the gold standard we strive to emulate.
Congratulations John. Since Toby “crash” Stevenson retired, you are one of the few vaulters that still wears a helmet while vaulting. I guess the “new” box collar that surrounds the plant box has created a false sense of security for a lot of vaulters.
Keep jumping HIGH John. Try not to look behind because Father Time is catching up to a lot of us “sawdust” vets.
Steve Morris
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