No Longer Long Shots

Following a brief slump, the U.S. is back on top in the Men's Long Jump

Four years ago they felt like hiding their faces in public.

Now they're walking tall, proud inheritors of a track and field heirloom.

From the advent of the modern Olympics in 1896 through the reign of Carl Lewis, the United States dominated the men's long jump. But the country that produced an assembly line of great jumpers - Jesse Owens, Ralph Boston, Bob Beamon, Mike Powell and Lewis - suddenly lost its bearings in the late 1990s.

The slump started in 1997, following the retirements of Powell and Lewis. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the highest U.S. finisher in the men's long jump was Dwight Phillips, who placed eighth. His teammates, Savante Stringfellow and Melvin Lister, failed to qualify for the final.

It was a stunning drop-off. U.S. long jumpers captured 20 of 22 Olympic gold medals from 1896-1996. The Sydney Olympics marked the first time that the U.S. men had been shut out of the long-jump medals.

Phillips was forced to keep a stiff upper lip as U.S. long jumpers were criticized for not holding up their end.

"Four years ago, we were getting bagged on," he said. "But we learned from it."

Phillips graduated from the School of Hard Knocks with honors. He won the world indoor and outdoor titles in 2003 to finish the season as the world's top-ranked jumper. Stringfellow was ranked No. 1 in the world in 2002 and captured the 2004 world indoor title with a jump of 27-6.75. Miguel Pate soared past 28 feet in 2002.

Powell, the world record holder at 29-4.5, had a ringside seat at last weekend's Modesto Relays, where Phillips jumped a world-leading 27-8 and fellow American Walter Davis narrowly fouled a jump in the 28-foot range.

"I'd say we're back," Powell said. "Every event goes in cycles, and now the level's going back up. I'm proud of them."

Better yet, the top Americans are all young; Phillips is the oldest of the leading contenders at 26. The U.S. trio that emerges from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials on July 11 in Sacramento will face plenty of quality competition at the Athens Olympics. Spain's Yago Lamela, Jamaica's James Beckford and Saudi Arabia's Hussein Al-Sabee are all experienced international competitors. Al-Sabee, who is coached by Powell, set a national record of 27-4.75 in finishing second to Phillips in Modesto.

But there's strength in numbers. In the men's long jump, the U.S. Olympic Trials is often a tougher test than the actual Olympics.

"We have four to six guys with the potential to make the team," Phillips said.

An hour after winning the Modesto long jump, Phillips won his section of the 100-meter dash in a wind-aided 10.12 seconds. Phillips would be an outside Olympic contender in the 100, but the Trials schedule makes a long jump/dash double very difficult. The long jump final is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 11. The 100-meter final will be held the same afternoon at 4:48.

"I doubt I'll run the 100 in Sacramento," Phillips said. "But I want to run some fast times so I can get into some European races this summer."

Phillips plans to jump in just two more meets before the Olympic Trials - one in Mexico City, and another in Seville, Spain. Both venues are known for producing long jumps, which is what Phillips has in mind.

"My coach (Greg Kraft) thinks I can break the world record," said Phillips, who competed collegiate at Arizona State. "My technique has really improved. I've worked hard on it. It's still not perfect, but it's getting better."

The same holds true for his competition, which should make the men's long jump one of the most exciting events at the Olympic Trials. The way it's supposed to be.

"The best guys always make the team," Phillips said. "I can't wait."

Weekly notes - Toby Stevenson became just the second American to clear six meters (19 feet, 8.25 inches) in the pole vault when he scaled that exact height in Modesto. Jeff Hartwig, the Modesto runner-up at 18-10.25, holds the U.S. record at 19-9.25, set in 2000. Stevenson, a former NCAA champion at Stanford, had never cleared 19 feet outdoors prior to Saturday's breakthrough performance ... Larry Wade won the 110-meter highs in Modesto in 13.13 ... Gail Devers opened her outdoor season in Kingston, Jamaica, by winning the 100 hurdles in 12.50, the fastest time in the world this year ... Darvis Patton won the 100-meter dash in Jamaica in 10.12 ... Marion Jones won the Kingston long jump at 22-1.5, her first outdoor jump competition since placing third in the 2000 Olympics ... In Osaka, Japan, defending Olympic champion Maurice Greene won the 100 in 10.04.

Daily tickets go on sale - Single-day tickets for the U.S. Olympic Trials go on sale May 15. Daily tickets are priced at $35, $25, $20 and $15. Call (916) 766-2277 or order online at www.tickets.com