Franklin Jacobs
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1957-12-31) December 31, 1957
Sport
Country United States
SportAthletics
EventHigh jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best
  • High jump: 2.32 m (1978)

Franklin Jacobs (born December 31, 1957[1] ) is a former high jumper from the United States. His personal best of 2.32 meters (7 ft 7+14 in) was a world indoor record in 1978,[2] and at 59 centimeters (23 in) above Jacobs' own height of 1.73 meters (5 ft 8 in),[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 2.32 meters (7 ft 7+14 in).[6] He waived his right to try for an even higher record, saying he "didn't feel nervous enough".[6] Two months later, 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. 1 2 Officially, 7 ft 414 in; USATF switched to metric in 2003.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nonna, Michael. "Franklin Jacobs". Track and Field Statistics. brinkster.net. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Litsky, Frank (February 13, 1998). "High Jumper Resurfaces For Honor at Millrose". The New York Times. p. C8. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  3. Sampaolo, Diego (January 14, 2009). "The super consistency of Stefan Holm". torino2009. European Indoor Athletics Championships. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Looney, Douglas S. (February 13, 1978). "A Mite Over The Bar". Sports Illustrated.
  5. 1 2 3 Rhoden, Bill; photographer G. Marshall Wilson (May 1978). "A big victory for the 'Little People'". Ebony: 82–88.
  6. 1 2 3 Putnam, Pat (February 6, 1978). "The Slop And Hustle Take Over". Sports Illustrated.
  7. Company, Johnson Publishing (June 8, 1978). "Franklin Jacobs adds new technique to high jump". Jet: 52.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Madden, Bill (February 8, 1998). "Jumpin' outta sight". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  9. Reid, Ron (March 20, 1978). "An Encore On A High Note". Sports Illustrated.
  10. Marshall, Joe (July 17, 1978). "Not Quite As High, But A Bit Mightier". Sports Illustrated.
  11. Company, Johnson Publishing (August 17, 1978). "Franklin Jacobs wins 1978 Tanqueray award". Jet: 46.
  12. Litsky, Frank (February 9, 1982). "Jacobs starting high jump comeback". The New York Times. p. B19. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  13. 1 2 Curry, Jack (February 4, 1991). "Sidelines: You can't hide: After 13 years, Jacobs speaks". The New York Times. p. C2. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  14. "High Jump – 1977-06-04". 1977 Men's Division I Outdoor Track And Field. NCAA. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  15. 1 2 "Indoor Track and Field: Division I men's" (PDF). NCAA. 2008. pp. 2, 5. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  16. "High Jump – 1978-06-03". 1978 Men's Division I Outdoor Track And Field. NCAA. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  17. 1 2 "Men's High Jump". USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions. USATF. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  18. "USA Indoor Track & Field Championships". USATF. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  19. "Men's High Jump". USA Indoor Track & Field Champions. USATF. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
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