Stones Gains Final, Criticizes Officials (original) (raw)
Sports|Stones Gains Final, Criticizes Officials
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/24/sports/stones-gains-final-criticizes-officials.html
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June 24, 1984
Credit...The New York Times Archives
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June 24, 1984
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Dwight Stones, who has been America's best or near-best high jumper for 12 years, qualified today for the high-jump final of the United States Olympic trials. He then assailed meet officials, saying they had changed the qualifying procedure at the last minute and denied six other jumpers a chance to compete in the final.
In the morning qualifying in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the bar started at 2.17 meters and was subsequently raised to 2.21 and 2.25. Those heights translate to 7 feet 1 1/2 inches, 7-3 and 7-4 1/2.
Anyone who cleared 7-4 1/2 would advance automatically to Sunday's final. If fewer than 12 qualified that way, others would be added to put at least 12 into the final. Different Rule Is Used
In international meets, the common practice is that if additional competitors are needed to fill out a final, everyone who cleared the previous height is taken. Stones said that all week he had asked three members of the games committee, which decides such matters, if that rule would be in force, and he said he had been assured it would be.
But Stones said that after the 46 jumpers had taken their practice jumps and were ready to start the competition, the high jump officials told them that the games committee had decided to use the countback rule to fill any remaining berths in the final.
Under that rule, used in college competition, a jumper who cleared the previous height on his first attempt would rank higher than those who cleared it on the second or third try. If ties still existed, the jumpers with fewer total misses for the day would take precedence. This countback rule is used more often to separate high jumpers and pole vaulters who are tied in a final.
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