Sotomayor’s 2.45-meter leap still owns the men’s record
High jumpers clear a bar without knocking it down, taking off from one foot. Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor set the men’s world record at 2.45 meters in 1993—the longest-standing mark in the event’s history—while Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh owns the women’s record at 2.10 meters from 2024.
Under World Athletics rules TR26 and TR27, a jump fails if the athlete knocks the bar off or touches the ground beyond it before clearing, and three straight misses usually mean elimination. Ties are broken by fewest misses at the final height and then overall; otherwise a jump-off follows, though since 2009 tied leaders may agree to share first, as the men did at the 2020 Olympics, which took place a year late. Women have contested the event at the Olympics since 1928.
The first recorded competition took place in 19th-century Scotland, using straight-on or scissors approaches. Michael Sweeney’s Eastern cut-off raised the world best to 1.97 m in 1895, and George Horine’s Western roll reached 2.01 m in 1912. American and Soviet athletes then refined the belly-down straddle: Charles Dumas first cleared 7 feet in 1956, and Valeriy Brumel reached 2.28 m and won 1964 Olympic gold before a motorcycle crash ended his career.
Dick Fosbury of Oregon State went over head first on his back, possible only because landing pits had become soft and raised, and won the 1968 Mexico City gold; Debbie Brill devised the same move independently. Dwight Stones set the first flop world record, 2.30 m, in 1973, and the 1.73-metre Franklin Jacobs cleared 2.32 m, 59 cm over his own head. Straddlers held on briefly: Rosemarie Ackermann was the first woman over 2 m, and her 1976 Montreal gold was the last Olympic medal won with that style. Sara Simeoni broke the women’s record as a flopper in 1978.
Floppers run eight to ten steps in a J shape, straight for three to five strides and then curving, so their lean lets the centre of gravity pass beneath the bar.
Source: High jump
