Phil Shinnick

Phillip Kent Shinnick (born April 21, 1943) is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for the long jump. He represented the United States at the 1964 Olympics. He qualified for the Olympics by finishing third at the 1964 United States Olympic Trials, where winner Ralph Boston set the world record of 8.34 m (27 ft 4+1⁄4 in), to beat the 8.31 m of Igor Ter-Ovanesyan set two years earlier and equalled by Boston a month earlier. However, on May 25, 1963, Shinnick jumped 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) at the 1963 Modesto Relays more than a year earlier.

Shinnick was credited with beating Boston at that meet, but a wind reading was not taken on Shinnick's jump. So in effect, had the jump been officiated properly and the wind legal, Boston should have been beating Shinnick's mark. Boston had problems with the wind himself. He jumped 8.49 m (27 ft 10+1⁄4 in) to win the trials, but that jump was wind aided.

Boston added another centimeter to the record at the 1965 Modesto Relays. When Shinnick jumped his 27'4" there was only one wind gauge at the meet. Shinnick was a jumper for the University of Washington, not expected to be setting a record. At the same time he was jumping on the west runway, the wind gauge was measuring a legal +1.6 mps for the 220 yard hurdles on the same west straightaway.