James Richard Poole

James Richard "Jim" Poole (born February 6, 1932) is a former American badminton player who won national and international championships between 1958 and 1979, and a former National Football League official.

Career

Though he did not focus on the sport until the late 1950s when in his mid twenties, Jim Poole went on to have a remarkably long career in high level badminton. He rated among the world's leading singles players in the early 1960s, during which time he became the first of only four non-Asians to win the Malaya (Malaysia) Open singles title (1961). Poole won the U.S. Open singles title in 1958 and 1961 and reached the final of both the U.S. and Irish Opens in 1968 at age 36. He probably played the best doubles of his career while approaching forty in the late 1960s and early 1970s, during an eleven-season partnership with fellow left-hander Don Paup. They reached the finals of the U.S. Open five times in nine tries, winning twice, while capturing all five of the closed national championships that they contested as a team.[1] The 21-year span from Poole's first to last U.S. title is the longest of any player. Noted for his shot-making accuracy and consistency, and for his tactical astuteness,[2] Poole was a member of seven consecutive US Thomas Cup (men's international) teams from 1958 through 1976. He won over 70 percent of his matches in these contests, which included three inter-zone campaigns (1958, 1961, 1967). In 1970, he was elected into the U.S. Badminton Hall of Fame, now called the Walk of Fame.[3]

An all-around athlete who played basketball and baseball for San Diego State University, Poole was a member of the winning US Pan-American Games Basketball Team in 1955.[4] From 1975 to 1995 he officiated National Football League games, wearing number 92 and working in two Super Bowls as a back judge.[5][6]

Major achievements
Tournament Event and year
US Open Men's Singles (1958, 1961), Men's Doubles (1968, 1973), Mixed Doubles (1971)
U.S. National Badminton Championships Men's Doubles (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979), Mixed Doubles (1970)
Canadian Open Men's Doubles (1962)
Malayan Open Men's Singles (1961)

International tournaments

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1965 Canada Open Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Eiichi Sakai
Takeshi Miyanaga		 15–10, 18–15 Winner

References
  1. Don Rittmann, "The 'All-Time' Thomas Cup Team," Badminton USA, February, 1983: 8.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Poole
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-08-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Super Bowl XXVII Archived 2009-01-31 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Super Bowl XXI Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
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