To find the starting point for his approaches to the high jump, the lean, towering (6 ft. 5¼ in., 190 Ibs.) Negro carefully stepped off 23 foot-lengths to the left of the standard, turned left for 23 more, and marked the spot with tape. Then John Thomas, 18-year-old freshman at Boston University, made seven loping passes before choosing a take-off spot 16 in. out from the bar.
Up in the stands at the Knights of Columbus meet in Boston, fans peered for any lingering signs of Thomas' accident last year, when he caught his left take-off foot in an elevator and was...
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