{{short description|American track and field athlete}} {{MedalTableTop|medals= {{Medal|Sport|Men's athletics}} {{Medal|Country | {{USA}} }} {{Medal|Competition|Pan American Games}} {{Medal|Bronze| 1975 Mexico City | Triple jump}} }}
'''Milan Tiff''' (born July 5, 1949) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the triple jump. He earned a bronze medal in the event at the 1975 Pan American Games.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.gbrathletics.co.uk/ic/pag.htm | title=Pan Am Games | access-date=2024-08-12 | website=www.gbrathletics.co.uk}}</ref> A contemporary of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at UCLA, Tiff was ranked in the world top ten in 1975 and 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/tjworldbyathlete.pdf |title=World Rankings Index — Men's Triple Jump |accessdate=2008-07-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516194243/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/tjworldbyathlete.pdf |archivedate=2008-05-16 }}</ref>
During the mid-1970s, Tiff converted to Islam. He briefly competed under the name '''Caleb Abdul Rahman''', appearing as such at the 1975 Pan American Games, the 1976 Olympic trials, and the national championships in 1976 and 1977. However, he returned to using his birth name, Milan Tiff, by the 1978 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Tiff later explained that his name change was not religiously motivated, stating, "I just did it because it sounded cool".<ref>{{cite web |title=Lights turn on and baseballs just disappear |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/boca-raton-news-lights-turn-on-and-baseb/192926410/ |work=Boca Raton News |access-date=8 March 2026 |page=27 |date=1 Nov 1991}}</ref>
== Early life and career == A childhood victim of Osgood-Schlatter disease, he did not walk until he was age 8.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20073523,00.html | title=Triple Jumper Milan Tiff Puzzles the Track World with His Art, His Friends and His Ideas | magazine=People Magazine | date=1979-04-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201232/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20073523,00.html | archive-date=2016-03-03}}</ref> He went on to become the first American to jump 57 feet while winning his second USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAOutdoorTF/men/mTJ.asp |title=USATF - Statistics - USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions |accessdate=2011-10-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610222614/http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAOutdoorTF/men/mTJ.asp |archivedate=2011-06-10 }} USATF National Championships</ref>
Growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, June 1968, set a state of Ohio high school triple jump record at 49’-11”.<ref>Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, June 17, 1968. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/153218668/?terms=Tiff%20triple%20jump&match=1//] Retrieved May 5, 2021</ref><ref>Ohio Track and Field News. [http://www.doverohclassof1984.org/docs/extracurriculars/Sports/Track/OTFN/OH%20T&F%205-17-1982.pdf] Retrieved May 5, 2021</ref> 1969, he first attended college at Miami University Ohio.<ref>http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/champs_records_book/1999-00/m_idtrack.pdf NCAA Results</ref> March 1970 (in Detroit) Tiff won the NCAA championship triple jump.<ref>Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio, Mar 22, 1970. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/104436614/?terms=Milan%20Tiff&match=1//] Retrieved May 12, 2021</ref> Later, switching to UCLA to work with Jim Bush, where he was a teammate of John Smith and Dwight Stones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/ucla-100-70.html |title=UCLA BRUINS - Athletics News |accessdate=2012-03-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213235836/http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/ucla-100-70.html |archivedate=2012-02-13 }} UCLA of the 1970s</ref> While there he won the 1973 NCAA Championship in the Triple Jump.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/track_outdoor_champs_records/2009-10/2009_m_d1_otf.pdf | publisher=NCAA | title=Division I Men - Results | website=web1.ncaa.org}}</ref> Later he joined Bush as an assistant coach<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-24-sp-763-story.html | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | title=Milan Tiff (horizontal jumping), Barbara Ferrell Edmonson... | date=24 July 1990 | access-date=2024-08-12 }}</ref> After completing UCLA, he was a member of the Southern California Striders.
Tiff was known for his unusual training methods, including visiting the Sierra Nevada annually to chase deer and bears in preparation for the triple jump.<ref>{{cite web |title=There's Madness in His Method |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-theres-madness-in/192921332/ |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=8 March 2026 |page=38 |date=1 Feb 1977}}</ref> During commuting hours at busy Los Angeles intersections, he would triple jump across the crosswalk rather than walk.<ref>{{cite web |title=Odd Tuneups for Times Games |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-odd-tuneups-for-ti/192921544/ |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=8 March 2026 |page=42 |date=1 Feb 1977}}</ref>
A talented painter,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nelsonga.ipower.com/archives/2007/04/shared_historie.html |title=Richard L. Nelson Gallery: Shared Histories: African American Art from Local Collections |accessdate=2010-02-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713053147/http://nelsonga.ipower.com/archives/2007/04/shared_historie.html |archivedate=2011-07-13 }} UC Davis showing</ref> he spends many hours working on art. He approaches many other activities with an artistic perspective. Like several athletes of his era he acted in the 1982 movie Personal Best. Later he trained Emilio Estevez for two of his mid-1990s film roles.{{citation needed | date=August 2024}} He has continued to train athletes at UCLA including many NBA players.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_8_227/ai_97997869/ | title=Arenas' fast track might run over warriors - Insider - basketball player Gilbert Arenas | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611070805/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_8_227/ai_97997869/ | archive-date=2008-06-11 | publisher=Sporting News | date=2003-02-24}}</ref> In 1991 he wrote a book on his own form of exercise called "Traveling light: an original form of exercise".<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.faqs.org/copyright/traveling-light-journal-with-quotations-from-the-book-by/ | title=Traveling light journal with quotations from the book by Max Lucado, In green pastures | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009191052/http://www.copyrightencyclopedia.com/traveling-light-journal-with-quotations-from-the-book-by/ | archive-date=2012-10-09}}</ref> He was later credited on James Ingram's album "It's Real" as "giving us the map."
In 1979, he was inducted into the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.mtsacrelays.com/archives/HallFame/Tiff.htm | title=Milan Tiff, Event: Triple Jump | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613082236/http://www.mtsacrelays.com/archives/HallFame/Tiff.htm | archive-date=2017-06-13}}</ref>
Tiff's father Benjamin ran on the East Technical High School (Cleveland) sprint relay team with Jesse Owens.<ref>Sports Illustrated, July 30, 1979. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210926071343/https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/07/30/mirror-mirror-on-reflection-milan-tiff-says-he-is-the-best-triple-jumper-of-all-and-because-he-thought-he-would-never-walk-tiff-wants-to-fly-all-the-way-to-a-gold-medal-in-the-moscow-olympics] Retrieved May 13, 2021</ref>
Tiff's sister, Michele Tiff-Hill was a 1984 Olympic Trials Qualifier in the Marathon.<ref>Fleet Feet,Feb. 2, 2022. [https://www.fleetfeet.com/blog/michele-tiff-hill//] Retrieved Feb. 26, 2022</ref>
== Olympic Trials ==
Tiff placed 10th at the 1972 trials, and competed in the rounds at the 1976 trials.<ref>The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field, Richard Hymans. [http://www.legacy.usatf.org/usatf/files/69/695a8112-b7a0-4b9d-9dbb-8b4bca22677c.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517231938/http://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/69/695a8112-b7a0-4b9d-9dbb-8b4bca22677c.pdf |date=2019-05-17 }} Retrieved Feb 26, 2022</ref>
== Masters == Tiff expected to retire from the sport after the Olympics, but continues to jump in Masters athletics events into his 60s. He has held several Masters World Records as he has passed through the age groups. In 2009, small gust of wind is all that prevented him from equalling the M60 world record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scausatf.org/events/usatf_masters/2009_USATF_Masters_West_Region.htm |title=USATF Western Region Masters Championships - Results | date=June 2009 |accessdate=2010-02-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419020300/http://www.scausatf.org/events/usatf_masters/2009_USATF_Masters_West_Region.htm |archivedate=2010-04-19 }} USATF West Region</ref>
As a Masters athlete, Tiff officially has three Masters World Records plus one Masters American Record; and have meet records at the Masters SCA, Masters West Region, Striders Meet of Champions, and the Grandfather Games.<ref>Milan Tiff Brief Highlights, May 01, 2023.[https://mastershistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Milan-Tiff-Brief-Highlights.pdf] Retrieved May 1, 2023</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{IMDb name|id=0862991}} * [https://www.oatccc.com/Coaches/Accolades/Hall-Of-Fame/View-Bio/Milan-Tiff-1986/ OATCCC Hall of Fame] * [http://www.mtsacrelays.com/archives/HallFame/Tiff.htm Mt Sac Relays Hall of Fame]
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's triple jump}} {{Footer US NC triple jump Men}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiff, Milan}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Shaker Heights, Ohio Category:Track and field athletes from California Category:Track and field athletes from Ohio Category:American men triple jumpers Category:American masters athletes Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics Category:African-American track and field athletes Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:UCLA Bruins men's track and field athletes Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1975 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Miami RedHawks men's track and field athletes Category:African-American Muslims