Tom Patsalis is an American track and field athlete. He has set 26 World Records in his career, a career that is still active in his late 80's. He is the current World Record

Masters Athletics World Records

These are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...

 holder in the M60 Long Jump

Long jump

The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

, set in 1982 thus a record he has held for almost three decades. He is also the American record

United States records in masters athletics

These are the current American records in the various age groups of masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...

 holder in the Long Jump for the M60 age division, has an as yet unrecognized mark that has been pending since 1977 (though recognized by the California Track News chief statistician at the time, Percy Knox) still 7 inches superior to the listed American record and is the American record holder in the Triple Jump

Triple jump

The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...

 in the M60 and M65 age divisions. He was selected to the Masters division of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame

National Track and Field Hall of Fame

The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...

 in 2003.

Patsalis was originally from Detroit, Michigan, after 50 years of marriage, he has retired in Alhambra, California

Alhambra, California

Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...

. He claims he has been participating in track and field since high school, 70 years in the sport. In addition to jumping, he also runs sprints and hurdled until he was 70. He was a member of the University of Southern California

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 track team in 1949, a teammate of Olympian Mel Patton

Mel Patton

Melvin Emery "Mel" Patton is an American track and field athlete, who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...

, graduating from the university in 1950, when he was 28 years old—his education delayed by World War II.

He was a pioneer in the early days of Masters athletics, winning three events at the 2nd ever World Association of Veteran Athletes Championships

World Masters Athletics Championships

The World Masters Athletics Championships are the biannual championships for athletics events held under the auspices of World Masters Athletics, formerly called the World Association of Veteran Athletes, for athletes over the age of 35 years old....

 in 1977 in Gothenberg, Sweden. He's won at the World Championships many times since and is looking forward to the 2011 World Masters Athletics Championships in nearby Sacramento, California

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

. In 1981, just 8 months before his 60th birthday, he long jumped over 20 feet and four months before that same birthday he triple lumped over 40 feet, the oldest person to achieve such milestones. In 1982, he was selected California Track and Running News "Masters Athlete of the Year" after setting the M60 World Record in both the long jump and triple jump the same day at the Southern California TAC Championships at California State University, Los Angeles

California State University, Los Angeles

California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...

.