Larry Myricks

Larry Myricks (born 10 March 1956 in Clinton, Mississippi) was an American athlete, who mainly competed in the men's long jump event.

A durable jumper, Myricks first broke onto the track scene in 1976. While competing for Mississippi College he was the NCAA Champion, in the long jump. He followed that up with a second place at U. S. Olympic Trials, beating defending Olympic champion Randy Williams in the process. At the 1976 Olympics, he broke his foot while warming up for the final and was unable to compete. His teammates Arnie Robinson and Williams finished 1,2. The three American jumpers had been easily the top three jumpers in qualifying.

In 1979 he won the again the NCAA Championship, this time both indoors and outdoors, He was also the US National Champion (27-2), and World Cup Champion (8.52m). He repeated as U.S. national champion in 1980 and in 1989.

He competed for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea, where he won the bronze medal in the men's long jump competition. In addition to the 1976 Olympics, Myricks won the 1980 Olympic Trials (over a young Carl Lewis), the team that did not go to the Olympics due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He finished second to Lewis in the 1984 Olympic Trials. He finished fourth in the Olympics that year.

He set his personal best of 8.74 m (28' 8") in the long jump at the 1988 Olympic Trials. That jump still ranks Myricks as the number 5 long jumper ever. It was the trials record, for a few minutes until surpassed by Carl Lewis. After qualifying for four straight Olympic teams, Myricks returned in 1992 as a 36 year old to a fifth Olympic Trials, finishing in seventh place.

Myricks was the third place jumper at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Long Jump when Lewis and Mike Powell were fighting over the world record, what many consider the greatest long jump competition ever.

Based on a statistical comparison of 8.16m, Myricks had more competitions (170) over that mark than any other competitor. Moving that comparison to 8.50m, he ranks second (17) to Carl Lewis (39) (as of 1996; since 1996, only 9 jumpers have even jumped 8.50). Myricks' last 8.50 in 1991 at the age of 35, is tied with Lewis' mark from the 1996 Olympics as the M35 Masters World Record.

He was also a useful 200 m sprinter, with a best of 20.03 s at the US National Championships in 1983 behind his nemesis Carl Lewis, who along with Mike Powell overshadowed him for most of his career. He ran the 200 at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. Myricks won the U.S. nationals in the 200 meters in 1988.

Myricks is also a graduate of Mississippi College. He was coached there by Joe Walker (now at Ole Miss). Larry Myricks was suspended (May 1990) by the TAC after a positive test for a banned stimulant before the 1990 U.S. Championships. This suspension was extended to a Life Time ban for two, subsequent positive tests. He was later reinstated after having served only one year.