Sneaky Sneakers?

When Russia's Yuri Stepanov racked up a world's record high jump of 7 ft. 1 in. early this summer, western trackmen admitted to mild surprise. Few had ever heard of Yuri, and he had not even made the Soviet Olympic squad. When Russia's Olympian Igor Kashkarov (who cleared only 6 ft. 10 1/2 in. to finish third at Melbourne) claimed a jump of 7 ft. 1/4 in., western trackmen began to wonder what was going on. The seven-foot barrier, which had once tripped everyone but California's Charley Dumas, seemed suddenly to have shrunk.

Then the French daily, L'Equipe, published a picture of Yuri in action. Every high-jumper who saw it leaped to a quick-conclusion: there was something sneaky about the Soviet jumper's sneakers. The sole of the take-off shoe looked uncommonly thick. Maybe it was bouncy enough to give Igor and Yuri an extra boost.

In Moscow last week, Coach Nicolai Komenkov insisted that there was nothing wrong with his boys' platform soles. But no one got a chance to inspect the shoes, and the International Amateur Athletic Federation decided to investigate. "The rules say nothing about the foot gear of a high jumper," said the I.A.A.F.'s Paul Mericamp, "but the federation has to take a stand on this phenomenon."

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