High jump
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The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of any devices. It has been contested since the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. Over the centuries since, competitors have introduced increasingly more effective techniques to arrive at the current form. Javier Sotomayor is the current men's record holder with a jump of 2.45 metres (8 ft 0.46 in) set in 1993 and is the longest standing in the history of the men's high jump. Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria) has held the women's world record 2.09 metres (6 ft 10.28 in) since 1987, the longest-held record in the event.
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[edit] History
The first recorded high jump event took place in Scotland in the 19th century. Early jumpers used either an elaborate straight-on approach or a scissors technique. In the latter, the bar was approached diagonally, and the jumper threw first the inside leg and then the other over the bar in a scissoring motion. Around the turn of the 20th century, techniques began to modernise, starting with the Irish-American M.F. Sweeney's Eastern cut-off. By taking off as if with the scissors, but extending his back and flattening out over the bar, the Sweeney achieved a more economic clearance and raised the world record to 6 feet 5.625 inches (1.97 m) in 1895.
Another American, M.F. Horine, developed an even more efficient technique, the Western roll. In this style, the bar again is approached on a diagonal, but the inner leg is used for the take-off, while the outer leg is thrust up to lead the body sideways over the bar. Horine increased the world standard to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) in 1912. His technique predominated through the Berlin Olympics of 1936, in which the event was won by Cornelius Johnson at 2.03 metres (6 ft 8 in).
American and Russian jumpers held the playing field for the next four decades, and they pioneered the evolution of the straddle technique. Straddle jumpers took off as in the Western roll, but rotated their (belly-down) torso around the bar, obtaining the most economical clearance up to that time. Straddle-jumper Charles Dumas broke the elusive 7 feet (2.13 m) barrier in 1956, and American John Thomas pushed the world mark to 2.23 metres (7 ft 4 in) in 1960. Valeriy Brumel took over the event for the next four years. The elegant Soviet jumper radically sped up his approach run, took the record up to 2.28 metres (7 ft 6 in), and won the Olympic gold medal in 1964, before a motorcycle accident ended his career.
American coaches, including two-time NCAA champion Frank Costello of the University of Maryland, flocked to Russia to learn from Brumel and his coaches. However, it would be a solitary innovator at Oregon State University, Dick Fosbury, who would bring the high jump into the next century. Taking advantage of the raised, softer landing areas by then in use, Fosbury added a new twist to the outmoded Eastern Cut-off. He directed himself over the bar head and shoulders first, sliding over on his back and landing in a fashion which would likely have broken his neck in the old, sawdust landing pits. After he used this Fosbury flop to win the 1968 Olympic gold medal, the technique began to spread around the world, and soon floppers were dominating international high jump competitions. The last straddler to set a world record was the late Vladimir Yashchenko, who cleared 2.33 metres (7 ft 8 in) in 1977 and then 2.35 metres (7 ft 9 in) indoors in 1978.
Among renowned high jumpers following Fosbury's lead were: Americans Dwight Stones and his rival, 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall Franklin Jacobs of Paterson, NJ, who cleared 2.32 metres (7 ft 7 in), an astounding 0.59 metres (1 ft 11 in) over his head (a feat equaled by Sweden's Stefan Holm); Chinese record-setters Ni-chi Chin and Zhu Jianhua; Germans Gerd Wessig and Dietmar Mögenburg; Swedish Olympic medalist and world record holder Patrik Sjöberg; and female jumpers Iolanda Balaş of Romania, Ulrike Meyfarth of Germany and Italy's Sara Simeoni.
[edit] Technical aspects
[edit] High jump shoes
High jump shoes are different from most other track shoes in that there are an additional four holes in the heel of the takeoff shoe, where the user can insert spikes for increased traction. These extra heel spikes aid greatly in the last four to five steps of the J-approach, allowing the jumper to run on his or her curve at a fast speed without slipping. Some high jump shoes are even more technologically developed and in addition to the extra spikes on the heel, the shoes are modified to lean the direction of the approach to provide further support while running their curve. As well as the approach, high jump shoes also help and support the jumper's takeoff. The IAAF regulations specify a maximum sole thickness for both high jump and long jump shoes; competitors in all other events may wear shoes with soles of any thickness.
[edit] The approach
The approach of the high jump may actually be more important than the take off. If a high jumper runs with bad timing or without enough aggression, clearing a high bar becomes more of a challenge. The approach requires a certain shape or curve, the right amount of speed, and the correct number of strides. The approach angle is also critical for optimal height.
Most great straddle jumpers have a run at angles of about 30 to 40 degrees. The length of the run is determined by the speed of the person's approach. A slower run requires about 8 strides. However, a faster high jumper might need about 13 strides. The greater the speed of the run, the greater the body's momentum can be converted upward [1].
The j type approach, favored by Fosbury floppers, allows for horizontal speed, the ability to turn in the air (centripetal force), and good take-off position. The approach should be a hard controlled stride so that a person does not fall from creating an angle with speed. Athletes should run tall and lean from the ankles on the curve and not the hips [2].
Drills can be practiced to solidify the approach. One drill is to run in a straight line (the linear part of the approach) and then run two to three circles spiraling into one another. Another is to run or skip a circle of any size, two to three times in a row[3].
[edit] Top performers
Updated June 16, 2009.
[edit] Men (outdoor)
| Pos. | Mark | Athlete | Nationality | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2.45 | Javier Sotomayor |  Cuba |
Salamanca | July 23, 1993 |
| 2. | 2.42 | Patrik Sjöberg |  Sweden |
Stockholm | June 30, 1987 |
| 3. | 2.41 | Igor Paklin |  Soviet Union |
Kobe | September 4, 1985 |
| 4. | 2.40 | Rudolf Povarnitsyn | Soviet Union |
Donetsk | August 11, 1985 |
| Sorin Matei |  Romania |
Bratislava | June 20, 1990 | ||
| Charles Austin |  United States |
Zürich | August 7, 1991 | ||
| Vyacheslav Voronin |  Russia |
London | August 5, 2000 | ||
| 9. | 2.39 | Zhu Jianhua |  China |
Eberstadt | June 10, 1984 |
| Hollis Conway | United States |
Norman | July 30, 1989 |
[edit] Women (outdoor)
| Pos. | Mark | Athlete | Nationality | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2.09 | Stefka Kostadinova |  Bulgaria |
Rome | August 30, 1987 |
| 2. | 2.08 | Blanka Vlašić |  Croatia |
Zagreb | August 31, 2009 |
| 3. | 2.07 | Lyudmila Andonova | Bulgaria |
Berlin | July 20, 1984 |
| 4. | 2.06 | Kajsa Bergqvist | Sweden |
Eberstadt | July 26, 2003 |
| Hestrie Cloete |  South Africa |
Paris | August 31, 2003 | ||
| Yelena Slesarenko | Russia |
Athens | August 28, 2004 | ||
| Ariane Friedrich |  Germany |
Berlin | June 14, 2009 | ||
| 9. | 2.05 | Tamara Bykova | Soviet Union |
Kiev | June 22, 1984 |
| Heike Henkel | Germany |
Tokyo | August 31, 1991 | ||
| Inha Babakova |  Ukraine |
Tokyo | September 15, 1995 | ||
| Tia Hellebaut |  Belgium |
Beijing | August 23, 2008 |
[edit] Men (indoor)
| Pos. | Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2.43 | Javier Sotomayor (CUB) |
Budapest | March 4, 1989 |
| 2. | 2.42 | Carlo Thränhardt (FRG) |
Berlin | February 26, 1988 |
| 3. | 2.41 | Patrik Sjöberg (SWE) |
Piraeus | February 1, 1987 |
| 4. | 2.40 | Hollis Conway (USA) |
Sevilla | March 10, 1991 |
| Stefan Holm (SWE) |
Madrid | March 6, 2005 | ||
| Ivan Ukhov (RUS) |
Athens | February 25, 2009 | ||
| 6. | 2.39 | Dietmar Mögenburg (FRG) |
Köln | February 24, 1985 |
| Ralf Sonn (GER) |
Berlin | March 1, 1991 | ||
| 9. | 2.38 | Igor Paklin (USSR) |
Indianapolis | March 7, 1987 |
| Gennadiy Avdeyenko (USSR) |
Indianapolis | March 7, 1987 | ||
 Steve Smith (GBR) |
Wuppertal | February 4, 1994 | ||
| Wolf-Hendrik Beyer (GER) |
Weinheim | March 18, 1994 | ||
| Sorin Matei (ROM) |
Wuppertal | February 3, 1995 | ||
| Matt Hemingway (USA) |
Atlanta | March 4, 2000 | ||
| Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) |
Stockholm | February 15, 2005 | ||
| Linus Thörnblad (SWE) |
Göteborg | February 25, 2007 |
[edit] Women (indoor)
| Pos. | Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2.08 | Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) |
Arnstadt | February 6, 2006 |
| 2. | 2.07 | Heike Henkel (GER) |
Karlsruhe | February 8, 1992 |
| 3. | 2.06 | Stefka Kostadinova (BUL) |
Athens | February 20, 1988 |
| 4. | 2.05 | Blanka Vlasic (CRO) |
Banská Bystrica | February 14, 2006 |
| Tia Hellebaut (BEL) |
Birmingham | March 3, 2007 | ||
| Ariane Friedrich (GER) |
Karlsruhe | February 15, 2009 | ||
| 7. | 2.04 | Alina Astafei (GER) |
Berlin | March 3, 1995 |
| Anna Chicherova (RUS) |
Yekaterinburg | January 7, 2003 | ||
| Yelena Slesarenko (RUS) |
Budapest | March 7, 2004 | ||
| 10. | 2.03 | Tamara Bykova (USSR) |
Budapest | March 6, 1983 |
| Monika Iagar (ROM) |
Bucharest | January 23, 1999 | ||
| Marina Kuptsova (RUS) |
Wien | March 2, 2002 |
[edit] Best Year Performance
[edit] Men's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
[edit] Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
[edit] National records
Updated September 2, 2009.
[edit] Men
[edit] Women
[edit] See also
- List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
- List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
- Men's high jump world record progression
- Women's high jump world record progression
- National champions High Jump (women)
- National champions High Jump (men)
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (May 2009) |
- The Complete Book of Track and Field, by Tom McNab
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2000
- All-time list, men outdoor (IAAF)
- All-time list, women outdoor (IAAF)
- All-time list, men indoor (IAAF)
- All-time list, women indoor (IAAF)
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: High jump |
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