Banks Sets World Triple-Jump Mark--and on the Level

INDIANAPOLIS —  Willie Banks said that after he finished a disappointing sixth in the Olympic Games last summer, he went to a hotel room and cried.

He no longer had a goal. He thought about it for a while and came up with another goal--to break the world record in the triple jump.

That goal was realized Sunday night at the USA-Mobil outdoor track and field championships at Indiana Stadium as Banks leaped 58 feet 11 1/2 inches to break a record that was once considered out of reach for an athlete at sea level.

Brazil’s Joao de Oliveira jumped 58-8 1/2 in the thin air of Mexico City in 1975, a mark that was considered nearly comparable in stature to Bob Beamon’s world long-jump record of 29-2 1/2, also set in the high altitude of Mexico City in 1968.

So Banks’ performance at sea level has to rate as one of the most notable track and field achievements of all time.

The record came on his second jump. The exuberant Banks raced to the track and held up his hands in exultation in front of a cheering crowd. Then he hugged his L.A. Track Club coach, Chuck Debus.

Banks, the former UCLA star, led the way in undoubtedly the greatest triple-jump competition of all time.

Mike Conley was second at 58-1 1/2, moving him to No. 3 on the all-time list. Charlie Simpkins was third at 57-5 3/4, and Al Joyner, the Olympic gold medalist, was fourth at 57-3 1/2.

All the marks were legal, for the wind was negligible.

An American hasn’t held the world triple-jump record since 1911, when Dan Ahearne jumped 50-11.

Banks said that Louise Romo, an L.A. Track Club teammate, inspired him to break the world record.

“She was coming down the homestretch in the 800 meters just when I was on the verge of my big jump,” Banks said. “The excitement of her doing well (she won) catapulted me to the record. I knew I had the record on my first step.”

Banks improved on his previous best performance by almost a foot. He had jumped 57-11 3/4 a week ago Saturday at the ARCO-Coliseum meet to advance his American record of 57-7 1/2.

His triple-jump series on a warm evening in central Indiana is one for the ages: 57-0, 58-11 1/2, 57-10 1/2, 57-5 1/2, pass and foul.

The wind reading was only 1.47 meters per second on his record jump. The allowable wind reading for record purposes is 2.0 m.p.s.

It was especially gratifying for Banks to break the record at low altitude. Indianapolis’ altitude is listed at 708 feet, compared to 7,546 feet at Mexico City.

“I wanted to break the record at sea level or not do it at all,” Banks said. “Now I can go to altitude and put it (the record) out so far that it will be a world record for another 10 years, like Oliveira’s.

“I can go for 60 feet now. I’m getting greedy.”

Conley, who had earlier won the long jump with a wind-aided mark of 28 feet, was in the strange circumstance of losing a competition while jumping 58-1 3/4.

“I think I can jump 59 feet,” the University of Arkansas star said. “But right now Willie Banks is the greatest triple jumper alive.”

After Banks jumped 57-11 3/4 at the Coliseum meet, he was confident that he could break the world record in the national meet.

“The facility here is extremely fast, and I knew the wind would be OK,” he said. “But it rained here yesterday. But when I woke up this morning, the sun was shining and I knew something good was going to happen.”

Banks dwelled on his soul-searching experience in a hotel room after the Olympics.

“After I got through crying and thought that I no longer had a goal, I said to myself, ‘Well, I’m still living and I’m healthy. I can’t go for 1988 (Olympics in Seoul, South Korea), but I can go for the world record.’ Then I smiled.”

Banks paused, smiled broadly and added, “Now I can go home and cry and find another goal.”

Banks has always been a crowd favorite, and he involves crowds by exhorting them to applaud when he and other triple jumpers compete. Sunday night, he had the crowd in the pocket of his Oceanside High School warmup suit Sunday night.

Banks has made a comeback of sorts at age 29. He said he used to work out by himself but didn’t enjoy it because he is a gregarious person.

“After I joined the L.A. Track Club, I enjoyed the athletes so much that I was a kid again,” he said. “It was no longer a job like it was when I was working for the Olympic gold medal.”

Banks also said that his club teammates goaded him on to extend himself in workouts this season.

Banks was asked what the reaction would be in Europe to his remarkable jump.

“They’ll probably say it was a fluke, or I was on drugs,” he said. “But I’ve never been on drugs in my life. I don’t need it and I’ll never need it. When the time comes to take drugs to jump far, I’ll quit.”

So what’s next for the new world record-holder?

Banks said that he would jump in a meet next Sunday in Berkeley, and then it’s on to Europe.

“I’m going to have so much fun,” Banks said. “I’m just going to blow it out. I’ll triple jump, high jump and long jump, but I won’t run anything longer than 200 meters.”

Banks’ performance reduced the significance of other performances. Still, there were some notable achievements.

Six best marks of the year (including Banks’, of course) were recorded:

--Andre Phillips took command at the halfway mark of the 400-meter hurdles race and won by five meters. His time was 47.67 seconds, improving on his own status as the third best performer of all time in the event. Phillips pulled away from Danny Harris, the NCAA champion and Olympic silver medalist, by the fifth hurdle, and was a clear winner in the stretch.

--Henry Marsh won his fifth straight national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The American record-holder won in the creditable time of 8:18.35.

--Doug Padilla out-sprinted Sydney Maree in the final 100 meters of 5,000 to win in 13:16.42. Maree had the fine time of 13:17.13.

--Earl Jones stunned an 800-meter field with a blazing 48.4 seconds for the first 400. But he went out too fast as Johnny Gray caught him and went on to win in 1:44.01.

--Merlene Ottey-Page, who won the 100 meters Saturday night, was an easy winner of the 200 in 21.93.

Edwin Moses, the world record-holder in the 400-meter hurdles, isn’t competing now because of knee injury.