U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : TRACK AND FIELD : Kimble Triple Jumps Over Generation Gap

The generation gap, which was very much present in the men’s triple jump at the Olympic Festival on Friday, was exceeded only by the gap between first and second place, which was created by one of the oldest track athletes competing here.

Ray Kimble, 38, of Texarkana, Ark., outjumped his competition, made up of mostly youngsters, with a winning leap of 54 feet 6 3/4 inches. Interestingly, second place went to 30-year-old David McFadgen of Newburgh, N.Y., with a a leap of 53-10 1/4.

Kimble’s inspirational performance was followed by an American-record victory for Debbi Lawrence in the women’s 10-kilometer walk. Her time of 45:28.4 bettered her own record of 46:06.36, which she set last month.

Track and field’s second day drew about 600 spectators to UCLA’s Drake Stadium. The announced ticket sales were 1,900.

Kimble almost didn’t show. His wife gave birth to their first child, a son, 12 days ago and he debated staying home in Union City, Calif. Then, on Monday, Kimble’s mother had a heart attack, and he once again reconsidered jumping here.

“Being the strong woman that she is, she always encouraged me that no matter what happened, don’t give up,” he said.

Kimble’s entire journey in track and field is filled with such decisions.

He began triple jumping--or more precisely, he returned to it--at age 28 at the urging of friends. Kimble had spent his formative athletic years playing football and attended Washington State on a football scholarship. His career as a wide receiver and defensive back drew the attention of WSU track Coach John Chaplin, who encouraged Kimble to return to school . . . and the triple jump.

Kimble did, moving up in national rankings to No. 2 in 1984. But for the past few years injuries and family responsibilities have taken priority. Kimble has earned his teaching credential and will begin student-teaching physical education at a junior high in the fall.

Now, he’s healthy again and happy to have jumped here. The meet served as a good tune-up for the Pan American Games, next month in Cuba.

Kimble said he has had a hard time relating to his competitors, many of whom are less than half his age.

“I’m afraid that some of the athletes I’m competing against are the children of some of the guys I used to compete against,” Kimble said.

Kimble said he is so far removed from the lifestyle of his competitors that only moments after checking in to his assigned dormitory room, and only moments after listening to the revelry that hundreds of teen-agers can create, he checked into a hotel.

“I can’t deal with them,” Kimble said, laughing.

For Lawrence, Friday’s record marks the second time she has set an American record in her last three races.

“The records mean a lot to me because they symbolize my improvement,” she said. “If I get to the point to where I’m not setting records, I’ll feel like I’m not training properly.”

In other events, Ricky Barker from Euless, Tex., won with a personal best score in the decathlon, 7,931.

Allen James of Mission Viejo set a Drake Stadium record in winning the 20-kilometer walk Friday in 1:26.23. Keith Talley of Indianapolis won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.78 seconds after the field was made to start three times. One recall was made when the runners were at the sixth hurdle.