Willie Banks created a clapping phenomenon with his activities, which is called “Banks” in Finland. Joona Rissanen
The following scene is quite familiar from athletic fields: the jumper claps his hands together before his performance and asks the audience to join in the cheering.
When rhythmic clapping starts to be heard from the stands, the athlete kicks into high gear.
Willie Banks, a former ME man from the triad, is the creator of this ritual – but it was born by accident. At the Olympic Stadium, Banks told how the “Banks effect” started.
Sting in the tail
Banks arrived in Stockholm in the summer of 1981 to compete.
– I had jumped really well in the national competitions in the USA. I thought I would get rich when I came to Europe to compete, Banks recalls with a big smile on his face.
Before the competition, the man heard some unpleasant news: no other triple jump competitions would be organized in Europe besides Stockholm. Instead, a long race was offered in Lausanne.
– But I’m not a long jumper! Banks exclaims.
It was reported from Sikarportia that the triple jump does not attract enough people to the stands. Banks believed that the situation would change if the defectors made records.
– I told my competitors that we have to do something special today. We have to break records. Personal records, world records. Never mind, but we’re going to make this really interesting now.
The racing partners had stared at Banks in amazement.
– Maybe they didn’t speak English because they looked at me as if I spoke some African language. I realized that everything is now on my shoulders.
The story continues after the picture.
In 1985, Banks jumped the triple jump world record of 17.97. PDO
A bunch of people
Banks prepared for the Stockholm race in his familiar style by listening to his stereo headphones and jamming to the music.
As the man began to take off his tracksuit for the competition performance, a flirtatious whistle could be heard from the stands.
– I thought, okay…
Next, Banks’ attention in the audience was stolen by a group of five men.
– They were all drunk. I thought they were Swedish, but others thought they might have been Finns, Banks grins.
However, he started to do his familiar jumping routine: three claps and a fist in the air three times. The drunkards clapped in unison. The renegade master was annoyed.
– I thought hey, I’m trying to focus on my performance now!
In the next round, the men got almost the entire audience to join in clapping along to Banks’ rhythm. And the phenomenon only spread wider round by round.
The story continues after the picture.
Banks was allowed to hold the ME result for no less than ten years, until Jonathan Edwards (18.29) broke it. PDO
Aalto was born
Despite the distractions, Banks’ jump went through, and the man decided to do a lap of honor in the stadium to celebrate the victory even before his last jump.
Whenever Banks arrived at a new section of the stands, people stood up and started applauding her. After that they sat back down.
– It was the first wave in athletics, Banks laughs.
On her last jump, Banks jumped 17.55, which was a harder result than the European record at the time. After the match, Banks asked what the promoter thought Andy Norman was from the show.
– If you do that, you can participate in all my competitions in Europe, was the answer.
In the long distance race in Lausanne, Banks was awaited by new cheerleaders, but even there he set his own record: 8.11. It was also a harder result than the Swiss record.
– From then on, it didn’t matter where I went, people started clapping.