Steve Smith (pole vaulter)

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Stephen Norwood "Steve" Smith (born November 24, 1951 in Long Beach , California ) is a former American pole vaulter who temporarily held the world record . In 1973 he led the world rankings.

Life

Smith always lived in the Los Angeles area , graduated from South Torrance High School , was a California high school master in pole vaulting in 1968 , beating Bob Richards, the son of the eponymous multiple Olympic champion Bob Richards . Because of his athletic achievements, he received a full athletics scholarship from the University of Southern California . He began his studies there when his future long-time rival Bob Seagren graduated from the same college. After a year he dropped out of college and moved to the less demanding Long Beach State. Here, however, he was not allowed to continue training with his long-time coach Dick Tomlinson, so he also left this university and started for the Pacific Coast Club . In 1972 he was second behind the eventual Olympic champion Seagren at the US Olympic Trials and qualified for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich . There he experienced a disaster and was only 18th. At the Olympic Games, he was no longer allowed to jump with his soft stick, which had been banned by the IAAF shortly before the Games , because it only allowed a limited number of mainly American jumpers - and not as prescribed to everyone - was available.

As a result, Smith concentrated only on pole vault and improved the world record several times in the following indoor season. He was the first jumper to cross the 18 feet, which is particularly important in the USA. As a result, Smith then became a professional athlete with the International Track Association , which celebrated the duels between him and Seagren. Here he jumped on May 28, 1975 with a 5.61 m outdoor world record in New York City . After the fall of the ITA in 1976, Smith tried to re- amateurize . He received this in 1979, but was only fourth in the US Trials for the 1980 Summer Olympics. In 1983 he ended his career after a car accident. He has since worked as a real estate agent in Southern California. In his playing days he was 1.85 m tall and weighed 82 kg.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ California State Meet Results - 1915 to present. In: prepcaltrack.com. Retrieved November 16, 2016 .
  2. ^ Arnd Krüger : The American sport between isolationism and internationalism . In: competitive sport . Volume 18. No. 1 , 1988, p. 43-47 .
  3. ^ Arnd Krüger : The American sport between isolationism and internationalism . In: competitive sport . Volume 18. No. 2 , 1988, p. 47-50 .
  4. ^ Traditions - Long Beach State University Official Athletic Site. (No longer available online.) In: longbeachstate.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016 ; accessed on November 16, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.longbeachstate.com
  5. ^ The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field, R Hymans, USA Track & Field, 2008
  6. ↑ "Not Your Typical Olympic Story", Steve Breazeale, San Clemente Times, August 2, 2012 ( Memento of the original from April 11, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sanclementetimes.com
  7. ↑ "Americans Pole-Axed: Olympic Pole Vault Controversy", Mike Rosenbaum ( Memento of the original from January 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , trackandfield.about.com. up 4th November 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / trackandfield.about.com
  8. ^ "Steve Smith Sets Pole Vault Record," Associated Press, Reading Eagle, January 21, 1973.
  9. ↑ Ron Reid: He's Raising the Roof . In: SI.com . (English, si.com ).
  10. ^ "Long Beach's Steve Smith Sets New Mark For Indoor Pole Vaulting At 18 Feet," Associated Press, Gettysburg Times, January 27, 1973.
  11. ↑ Joe Marshall: He Gets up by Being Down on Himself . In: SI.com . (English, si.com ).
  12. ^ "Record Night in Pokey," The Spokesman Review, February 25, 1974.
personal data
SURNAME Smith, Steve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Stephen Norwood
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pole vaulter
DATE OF BIRTH November 24, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Long Beach , California