Vaulter as victim: USATF tells 94-year-old to take flying leap
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! USATF’s decision to sweep aside records set at the National Senior Games is considered a closed book. But not to me. USATF is picking on the wrong guy. It’s dissing the wrong superstar. I’m talking about 94-year-old Don Pellmann, whose pole vault WR at Palo Alto was chucked like so much moldy leftovers from Turkey Day. Sandy Pashkin, our official records-rejecter, told me at Oshkosh that one of the reasons she’s so picky about rules being followed is that she felt an allegiance to existing record-holders. She wanted to make sure their marks weren’t overridden without solid cause. Right. But in the process, she (and others who support her) ignore the interests of legitimate would-be record holders like Don. Ned Pellmann, one of Don’s sons, sent me a note that bespeaks the pain of being denied a record because of a nonsensical technicality beyond his control.
Don Pellmann, photographed by Katie Leighton in Palo Alto, deserves better.
Ned gave me permission to post this note:
I guess when you are 94 and hold, or have held, the best performances in the world in almost (every) track and field event in which he competed for that age category at some time, having these not recognized takes on a little different perspective than maybe for others in which this was a “big deal”.ÂThe 90-94 pole vault record is really something special and it would sure have been nice to get the world recognition that it deserved.ÂÂI am more upset about the USTAF as well as the NSGA not getting their act together and doing what’s best for the athletes than my father. What a sad statement for the athletes in both of these groups with the “too bad, so sad” attitude and maybe better luck at your next meet.ÂÂAnd if there are only 9 performances out of the 21 submitted that were ultimately impacted. (some of the other record holders better their NSGA performances in other “sanctioned” meets after the Palo Alto event) and all the officials and paperwork were in order, why couldn’t the USTAF had been a little more “athlete friendly” in those couple of cases. This experience has “soured” my attitude for both the USTAF and Masters Track as well as the National Senior Olympics group and that is too bad.ÂI will forward a copy of the picture of my father’s record pole vault performance and feel free to post that on your blog as far as “93 year old pole vault record performance denied due to “oversight” of meet official and inflexibility of USTAF”.ÂÂI guess I should not be surprised in that these are the same rules that disqualified marathon runners in Milwaukee for listening to their iPod and taking a drink outside the “official” aid station.ÂAnyway, enough “venting” and on to other more important issues like celebrating Christmas with my family and friends.ÂThanks for your support of ALL athletes regardless of the meet and how it was officiated and sanctioned.ÂÂNed PellmannÂ
When Ned sent the photo of his dad along, he added this:
Per our previous emails, attached is a picture of Don Pellmann competing in the Pole Vault at the National Senior Olympics in August at Palo Alto, California. His performance of 5′ 1 3/4″; 1.57 meters bested the existing listed world record for the 90-94 age group that was 4′ 7″; 1.42meters.
Unfortunately, even though the officials were all certified USTAF officials, the competition was official and not an “exhibition” with only a few athletes, the measurements were done with a steel tape and all issues meet normal record guidelines, this performance will not be recognized due to an oversight by the meet directors not to get pre-meet sanctioning and due the to fact the USTAF would not recognize the post-meet sanctioning given to the National Senior Olympic Games Track & Field event. Too bad.
Too bad. Too sad. Too unfair. Too shameful.
When will it ever stop?
Masters delegates meeting at the Indy convention last week supposedly had the records process on their agenda. Gary Snyder, our national chair, had some quick fixes in mind. I still haven’t heard the upshot of these discussions.
Gary’s interest in athletes’ welfare is sincere. But talk is talk.
What is being done in concrete terms to help athletes like Don Pellmann?
Keep the heat on! We won in John Hinton’s case — getting his previously rejected indoor mile record posted as “pending.” We can win here, too.
13 Responses
Yes, Ken, we have an allegiance to existing recordholders, but as you point out we also have an allegiance to prospective recordholders. For example, we know that Phil Raschker holds the W55 pole vault record, and thus we have an allegiance to her. Kay Glynn broke Phil’s record in a USATF association championship, but our allegiance to Kay was not realized (her mark was not accepted even though it was legitimate). It’s not a question of balance beween the two athletes but rather of fairness for both.
I’ve written on this subject a few times before, and some people (always named “Anonymous”) have actually objected. What? The problem does not lie with me, nor does it lie with the athletes who break records and don’t get the recognition they deserve. It lies with a system that fails repeatedly to accept legitimate marks.
Let’s say we were talking about hospital care, and 30% of the patients who came in for total hip replacement at an institution we will call Masters Memorial Hospital died within a month. People would be outraged. If the hospital said “We’re accredited by the Joint Commission, licensed by the state, and approved for Medicare,” we wouldn’t care a bit. Why, we would ask, are all these patients dying? In masters T&F I keep asking, why are people losing legitimate marks for reasons outside of their control that have no impact on their performance?
In the case of Don Pellmann, why doesn’t someone talk to the chief of the pole vault at Palo Alto? If everything was done the right way, accept the mark. If not, don’t.
Good explanation Peter. Thank you.
I’m back to Don Islet, who I saw beak the M70 PV record at 3.21m at a sanctioned event. The PV official signed off on the record but he cannot get a 2nd signature because no other certified official saw the vault – only the one USATF official and the 100 or so spectators cheering him on. Bubba
Thank you, Bubba. And as an historian of the pole vault you might know that the current American record for M90 that Don Pellmann exceeded was set in June 2005 by John Boesenhofer in Pittsburgh.
Now what was going on in June 2005 in Pittsburgh? Yes, the National Senior Games. So here we have a situation in which someone (Mr. Pellmann) breaks an American record in National Sr Games that was set at the same meet 4 years earlier but does not get credit. What an irony.
The world record, as you know, Bubba, for M90 was set by Vic Younger, apparently an Australian. In a fair system that record would be gone (taken down) by this evening.
Bubba luv ya man – I know you know this but a couple of things 1) the bar has to be measured with a certified metal tape prior to a record jump and witnessed by three certified officials; 2) the bar has to be measured after the sucessful attempt and witnessed by three certified officials ; 3) the certified officials have to have obtained national level certification, association level will not suffice for record purposes, 4)If the bar is dislogded the officials have to start the procedure over for each additional attempt at a record. 5) The heat sheet must be signed, dated with the time of completion of the event and certified by the meet referee. My point is that if someone is attempting a record in a verticle jump and they don’t have they necessary metal tapes or three national level certified officials available, isn’t it incumbent on the athlete to request that they be made available. At some point we as athletes have to know the rules and quit blaming others if our records are not accepted.
I understand that if it was not a usatf evevnt it will not matter someones proformence,and Im not A historion but it was japan that attacked us at pearl
details, details, details…
Quote “1) the bar has to be measured with a certified metal tape prior to a record jump and witnessed by three certified officials”
Rule 148 and 264 appear to confirm this.
RULE 148 (page 67 of the pdf)
MEASUREMENTS AND WEIGHTS
1. All measurements, except as otherwise herein provided, must be made with a certified steel tape, fiberglass tape, bar graduated in centimeters, or a certified electronic measuring device. Measurements made with fiberglass tapes shall not be acceptable for records. In the case of a record, see the procedures in Rule
264.
RULE 264 RULES APPLICABLE TO FIELD EVENTS (page 162 of the pdf)
2. Measurements for records in field events shall be made by three field judges, including the Chief Field Judge of that event, under the supervision of the Field Event Referee or Head Field Judge and shall be made using a certified steel tape, certified graduated bar in centimeters or approved scientific measuring device
and submitted in meters and centimeters in accordance with Rule 148.
I do have one question, what constitutes a “certified tape”? I don’t recall ever seeing any tape with a marking of “certification”.
Quote “2) the bar has to be measured after the sucessful attempt and witnessed by three certified officials”
I don’t think this is true, but it may be. Please tell me where it is stated in the rules.
Quote “3) the certified officials have to have obtained national level certification, association level will not suffice for record purposes”
This may also be true but I don’t know where it is stated in the rules. Please tell us where it is specified.
Items 4) and 5) are requirements I am aware of but haven’t bothered to reference the rule book.
Quote “My point is that if someone is attempting a record in a verticle jump and they don’t have they necessary metal tapes or three national level certified officials available, isn’t it incumbent on the athlete to request that they be made available. At some point we as athletes have to know the rules and quit blaming others if our records are not accepted.”
I’ve been involved with a few measurements for records and have been surprised to learn new things occasionally. I am an athlete that has tried to be prepared. However, in spite of letters sent ahead of the meet, notification to the officials before the competition starts and a reminder as a situation approaches where a record attempt may be made, there have been times where the officials were not ready when the time came for the record attempt. I also try to check with meet officials ahead of the meet to see if the meet is USATF sanctioned. I don’t think you can ask an athlete to do more than that. If an athlete jumps a record after all that and is denied credit for that record, shame on the meet organizers and USATF.
Regards,
– John
Think “Animal House”….one of the funniest movie scenes ever.
Even I took the Pearl Harbor remark as a joke, not too tasteful – Ken!
But, you are forgiven, “He knowes not what he does, at times” and don’t we all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q47bpOCTcaY
Too bad……….the powers to be do not rule by common sense and logic. Obviously they govern by the letter of the rule rather than it’s spirit…
Yes, Bob, it’s too bad. BTW, I just looked at the usatf.org site and found that the American records were updated as of yesterday (Dec 17, 2009).
The good news is that John Hinton finally got his M45 indoor mile record, which he set almost 2 years ago (January 19, 2008, as I recall). Justice was slow, but at least he finally got justice.
Did not see the marks in the pole vault set by Flo Meiler and Don Pellmann at Sr Games (Palo Alto), of course, and I did not see the W55 pole vault mark set by Kay Glynn in 2008. I believe it was you, Bob, who pointed out that Kay’s mark was set at a meet (USATF Pacific Assoc. champs) that was listed on the calendar as a sanctioned event. How sad that you can go to a meet like that, have the officials and referee sign off on it, and a year and a half later, even after the national USATF convention, you don’t have your mark.
Some people have said that people (perhaps including me) should have gone to Indianapolis to push for marks such as Kay’s, but why would I or anyone else go? In my own case I am not a USATF member, do not count as an athlete or coach, and could not afford the freight ($$$$). But the larger point is the obvious: Why should anyone have to go to a national USATF convention to ask for ratification of a mark that was already approved by the officials and the referee at the USATF meet where it was set? This is puzzling.
Don was an amazing person to meet. Even after taking this photograph almost 9 years ago I still think about him often and the drive he had. Such an inspiration.
Leave a Reply