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Commentary.......Message from the Publishers: Former Hog Takes Silver in Sydney Long Jump

1/13/2001

With the world's attention during last year's Sydney Olympic Games focused on "The Three Ms" ... Marion Jones, Maurice Greene and Michael Johnson .... along with other celebrity athletes, not much was made of John Register's silver medal in the long jump. Register had an outstanding performance at the Sydney Games with fifth place finishes in the 100 meters and 200 meters to accompany the long jump silver. In addition, Register set the American record in the long jump and tied the world record last fall. Not a bad year.

For those of us who followed Register as a University of Arkansas Razorback trackster in the mid 1980s, these results are not really a big surprise. Not only was he a Hog All-American three times... long jump and 4x400 relay...but he also was a member of four Hog NCAA championship teams. Following his career at Arkansas, Register competed for the U.S. Army from 1989-1994 winning nine gold medals, was a member of the Army's World Class Athlete Program and twice qualified for the U. S. Olympic Trials in 1988 and 1992 as a hurdler.

Pardon me you may be saying, but John Register did not win the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. That honor went to Jai Taurima of Australia with a leap of 8.49 meters.

Well you would be partially correct. Register earned his silver at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics held in October immediately after the Summer Olympics. For you see, John Register...the former Razorback track and field great...lost his left leg to amputation after a freak accident while running hurdles in training for the 1996 Olympic Trials and engineered a comeback at last year's Paralympic Games held in Sydney.

Maybe you have never heard of the Paralympic Games. From October 20 through October 29, 2000 over 3800 disabled athletes from 122 nations gathered in Sydney as part of the Olympic Games to compete in a wide array of events including athletics (track and field to us in the U. S.), archery, basketball, cycling, fencing and others. These Games may be the fastest growing international sport today as the number of participants exceeded the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and more than doubled the 1998 Nagano Paralympic Games. Not impressed? The level of participation even exceeded the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games!

Find out more about the Paralympics and the results of last year's Games at www.olympics.com/eng/paralympics. Athletes compete in over 20 classes of competition reflecting the nature and severity of their disability including vision impairment, intellectually disabled, cerebral palsy, amputations and spinal cord injuries.

But back to Register.

Register competed in Class 42 which covers athletes with a single above-knee amputation or a combined arm/leg amputation. On October 24, Register placed fifth in the 100 meters running a 14.07 to be edged out by US teammate Albert Reed's 13.64 for fourth. Earle Connor of Canada won with a World Record time of 12.61. Two days later Register again managed a fifth in the 200 meters with a 30.51 clocking as Gold Medalist Lukas Christen of Switzerland raced home in 26.85.

But it was on October 23 in his first event that John shined. Register grabbed the Class 42 Long Jump Silver with a leap of 5.41 meters just inches behind Gold Medalist Christen of Switzerland and well ahead of Bronze Medalist Victor Goeransson of Sweden who managed 4.89 meters. Register's jump set an American Record and tied the existing World Record forcing Christen to set a new WR to grab the gold.

Quite an accomplishment for someone with only one leg. How does he do it? Go to www.americanplasticscouncil.org to find out more about John Register and how he overcame a seemingly debilitating injury. Visit John's website to get a quick glance of other interesting facts.

How did Register lose his leg? On May 17, 1996 during a workout, Register hit a hurdle, landed wrong and twisted his left knee severing an artery in his leg. After a failed attempt to reconstruct the artery, Register opted for amputation which would give him a chance to walk with a prosthesis rather than be confined to a wheelchair. Register was fitted with a prosthetic "soft-socket" limb made from advanced plastics that allows the thigh muscles to continue to grow and develop.

So next time a workout seems difficult, or the challenge of an upcoming season or race seems too tough, think about John Register and the other paralympians. Just use the gifts you have been blessed with to do your very best ... just as John Register continues to do.

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