April 28th
http://prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/11954/have-you-seen-the-o’donnell/
May 5th (video of his jump at this link)
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100505/SPORTS/100509747/1031/SPORTS07?Title=Kellan-flips-the-flop-
May 6th
http://prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/12013/a-story-behind-the-o’donnell-story/
May 8th
http://prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/12024/“the-o’donnell”-lives/
2 comments:
This is clearly a two-footed jump. He gathers his momentum into a two-footed stance, and then jumps simultaneously with both legs. Even though one foot leaves the ground slightly before the other, the jump takeoff is initiated with both feet at the same time.
This is not a new style at all. The high jump has been tinkered with quite a bit, even though the prevailing style has been very popular for some 40 years now. Gymnasts can generate remarkable heights with a tumbling approach and then a flip at the end. The top-notch gymnasts have routinely cleared heights over 8 feet using floor exercise techniques.
Some older purists claim that the straddle technique is every bit as effective as the Fosbury flop, but requires much more technical rehearsal. As I recall, the world record with the straddle is 7-10 by Vladimir Yoschenko back in the 70's. The current world record stands at 8-0 by the Cuban Javier Sotomayor set in the lat '80's in Spain. Not much difference, really.
Often the floppers use the scissors method at lower heights. Back in the days of fluffed up woodchips, the height jump saw the straddle, the scissors, and a modified "Western roll" where the jumper cleared the bar on his or her side and then rotated to drop into the woodchips on both hands and feet simultaneously. There was even an earlier version sometimes called the "Eastern roll" which started out like a scissors kick approach, but the jumper flattened out in mid-air and cleared the bar much like a pole vaulter does, in order to land on the feet in the woodchips.
The popularity of the flop is that the rudiments are easily taught, the landing pads can accommodate the back landing posture, and the technique allows for the utilization of high approach speeds.
Peter Brewer
Northgate High
Peter,
As always, thank you for your contributions to this blog.
As has been posted on other sites which are listed above, while people may argue on whether this jump is legal or not, the fact of the matter is that Hal Harkness deemed it legal.
Whoever is officiating the high jump at the NCS MOC. Do they have the authority to DQ him?
I hope this matter is all cleared up before we get to that point.
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