Fans Came For Their Hero. Beck Gave Them Somebody Else To Cheer.

August 24, 2024 3 min read

Wendell Beck, 65, clears the bar to win the M65 pole vault. Photo by Sandy Triolo.

By Ray Glier

It was as if the Paris Olympics became the Gothenburg Olympics.

The grandstands were teeming with athletics fans. Cameras were up all around the pole vault pit as fans got their pictures to send home. There was the rhythmic clapping as the vaulters stood at the start of the runway preparing to jump.

And there was a superstar in the house.

The fans, mostly Swedish, were there to see Jan Ingemar Stenmark, the legendary alpine skier who was competing in the M65 pole vault at the World Masters Athletics Championships for Sweden. (photo below)

Stenmark won two gold medals in three Olympics. He won five golds in the World Championships. He is beloved, not just for his skill, but for his grace and class, which he displayed throughout the day outfitted in his yellow Swedish kit.

Here is where I tell you the throng left disappointed.

Stenmark did not win the gold.

Another class fellow in yellow won, American Wendell Beck, who wore yellow spikes to race the runway and propel himself to gold.

Beck, 66, jumped 3.70 meters, or 12.1 feet to win his sixth WMA gold medal. Stenmark finished 10th clearing 3.0 meters.

Beck, who is from Mesa, Arizona, came in as No. 1 in the world at 3.89 or 12 feet, 7 inches.He was delighted by the crowd and the enthusiasm around the event.

“It was awesome to have the stands packed and cheering and clapping for each vaulter, not just the champion downhill skier,” Wendell said. “Very classy Swedish fans. It was a very energetic atmosphere for all. I was interviewed by a TV station before the competition and said that I didn’t know him, but that it was a great fan base and awesome atmosphere.”

What I came away with is how Beck defeated all the other vaulters who had different body types. The others were more angular than Beck. He walked with a different gait and had a rounder stomach and thicker legs.

I covered the NFL and scouts always wanted to watch a player from behind when scouting because they wanted to see glutes. "Ray, don't look at legs or core for power, look at their butt." This was particularly true of linemen.

Roy Oswalt was a right-handed pitcher for Astros who was 5-foot-9 and threw 96 mph. I asked him where the velocity came from and he slapped his butt. He didn't mean shooting fertilizer into his butt like one of his teammates (Roger Clemens). Roy meant that was where he built strength.

In that regard, Beck was great to watch because he was out of the mold. He was also great to watch because he handled with poise and class all the hubbub around Stenmark. There were interviews galore with the Swede and well-wishers around him as Beck was just a few feet away still competing. Wendell never asked for the guys to take it somewhere else so he could focus.

When I saw Beck take his pole and add some tape before his last successful jump, I knew he couldn’t be distracted by the noise. He was going to win…and he did easily.