Patrick Clifford Matzdorf (born December 26, 1949) is an American former

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

er, who set a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

of 2.29 meters (7'-6 1/4") at a World All-Star Track Meet in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

. Matzdorf, a Junior at the University of Wisconsin, entered the July 3, 1971 meet against the Soviet Union with a personal best of 7'-3" (2.21 m.) achieved earlier that year in March. He broke the world record that day on his third attempt at 2.29 meters. Matzdorf utilized the bent-leg straddle jumping style, a modification of the classic straight-leg straddle which dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s.

Education Sport

At the University of Wisconsin, he played basketball as well.

Corporate Life

Patrick Clifford Matzdorf worked for AT&T Bell Labs at Indian Hill in Autoplex. He coined the phrase "wireless" as part of a standards meeting and was distinguished by his mustache.

Corporate Sports

During his life at AT&T, according to co-workers, he played softball, which every time at the plate he stroked a home run. A company teammate, Tom Giammarresi, remembers "his throws from left field that were, not far off the ground, and traveled all the way to home plate like bullets." He also played coed volleyball. According to Sheila K. Brown Klinger, she stated "we all played volleyball together at IH (Randy Downing, director, and Dave Carbaugh, DH, were also on our team)." He was considered a great athlete. .

References

1949 births Living people American male high jumpers Sportspeople from Sheboygan, Wisconsin World record setters in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1971 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games {{US-highjump-athletics-bio-stub