Franklin Jacobs

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Franklin Jacobs (born December 31, 1957[1] ) is a former high jumper from the United States. His personal best of Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). was a world indoor record in 1978,[2] and at 59 centimeters (23 in) above Jacobs' own height of Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).,[2] it remains the record for height differential, now held jointly with Stefan Holm.[3]

Biography

Jacobs was one of ten children of Jannie Jacobs, living in a shack in Mullins, South Carolina.[4] His parents separated when he was young.[5] The impoverished family moved to Paterson, New Jersey when he was three and lived with four cousins.[4] His first love was basketball, and he played for Paterson East-side High.[4] He only started high jumping in his senior year, after the end of the basketball season.[4] He cleared 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) that year.[4] His natural talent overcame his lack of technique: he called his style the "Jacobs Slop", as opposed to the Fosbury Flop;[6] but later renamed it the "Slope", from the trajectory of his launch.[7]

Jacobs barely graduated high school and got no athletic scholarship, but enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey with a federal grant.[4] He cleared 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) in his freshman year.[4] In March 1977 he tore cartilage in his right leg playing basketball, but competed for over a year without surgery.[5] He established a rivalry with Dwight Stones over the next two years,[4] with media emphasizing the contrast between Jacobs, a short inner-city African American, and Stones, a tall blond Californian.[8] Stones antagonized Jacobs by criticizing his unorthodox jumping style.[5] Jacobs beat Stones at the 1978 Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden, at which he set a world indoor record of Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value)..[6] He waived his right to try for an even higher record, saying he "didn't feel nervous enough".[6] The next day, Vladimir Yashchenko broke the record in Milan.[9] In July, at a highly publicized international between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Jacobs lost to Yashchenko on countback.[10] In August, Jacobs won the Tanqueray Award for outstanding amateur athlete; by then he had won 27 collegiate events.[11]

Jacobs anticipated gaining lucrative endorsements from the 1980 Olympics, but the U.S. boycott of the Games precluded this.[8] He was extremely disappointed and wanted to skip the U.S. "Olympic Trials"; he attended by request of his college, but failed his opening height.[2] He gave up the high jump and did not return to college.[8] A planned return to competition in 1982[12] did not happen.[2] In 1991, he commented, "I was upset and my dreams were shattered. I probably could have come back in 1984, but I was a naive kid. It was like the floor fell in."[13]

He subsequently had various jobs around Paterson,[2][8] working for a construction company 1986–91.[13] He married Naomi Livingston c.1990 and had a daughter Shannon in 1992.[2][8] Around 1995, they moved to Gilbert, Arizona.[2] In 1998 he was working for an electrical installation company.[2][8] That year, he attended a Millrose Games tribute to stars of memorable previous meets.[2]

Championship results

Year Tournament Venue Result Height (m)
1977 NCAA Outdoor Champaign, Illinois 2nd 2.26[14]
1977 US Nationals Los Angeles, California 2nd 2.27[1]
1978 NCAA Indoor Detroit, Michigan 1st 2.25[fn 1][15]
1978 NCAA Outdoor Eugene, Oregon 1st 2.26[16]
1978 US Nationals Los Angeles, California 2nd 2.24[1]
1979 US Nationals Walnut, California 1st 2.26[fn 2][1][17]
1979 Pan American Games San Juan, Puerto Rico 1st 2.26[1]
1979 World Cup Montreal, Canada 1st 2.27[1]
1980 NCAA Indoor Detroit, Michigan 1st 2.24[15]
1980 US Indoor Nationals New York City[18] 1st 2.24[fn 3][19]
1980 US Nationals Walnut, California 1st 2.24[fn 3][1][17]
  1. ↑ Officially, 7 ft 5 in; NCAA switched to metric in 1979.
  2. ↑ Officially, 7 ft 5 in; USATF switched to metric in 2003.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Officially, 7 ft 4​1⁄4 in; USATF switched to metric in 2003.

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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