It is incredible the evolution of modern times in these events. I just checked and the Olympic High jump my daughters 5 foot four inch jump in her Junior year would have won the gold medal in the woman's high jump in the late 1920s, and my sons personal best pole vault height would have gotten him the gold after WWII. Diet, training, equipment, and technique have revolutionized times, but the 100 meter is excruciating slow to advance the record because there are absolute limits to the physiology of the human body and we now have seen women high jumping almost six feet eight inches. My daughter jumped higher than I ever did using the western roll into sand pits........my son had incredible equipment compared to Don Laz and Mr. Wheaties Richards who did incredible heights in pole vault with basically a wooden pole and a sand pit with some padding.
This is the purity of the Olympic games. A swimmer who had coaches and parents who could afford keeping them in programs can excel, but a kid without the same never has a chance.....in volleyball they were selecting kids in seventh grade for club ball and kids were specializing with really tough competition to get into the best club where anybody who made that club would get a full scholarship........but running......a little girl in a slum in a poor nation can advance to the highest platform based on beautiful god given natural talent.