High jump

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The high jump was first practised in England in the 19th century. It became an Olympic sport in 1896 for men and in 1928 for women. The rules that were made in 1865 still exist today.

The men's world record of 2.45 metres was set in 1993 by Javier Sotomayor (Cuba). The women's world record of 2.09 metres is held by Stefka Kostadinova.

[change] Rules

Every athlete has three attempts on every height. Those heights are fixed. When he or she needs less than three attempts for a height, he or she can go to the next height. When the athlete fails three times on a height, he or she is out of the competition. The competition lasts as long as all the athletes are eliminated. When two athletes have reached the same height, the one who needed less attempts wins.

The athletes are allowed to touch the crossbar but they must not knock it down. It is also an invalid attempt when an athlete does not pass the crossbar but touches the mat.

[change] Techniques

The technique that is practised today is called the "Fosbury Flop". With this technique it is possible to jump over the crossbar while the center of gravity is under the crossbar. Before the Fosbury Flop had been invented, there were other techniques, such as the "scissors" or the "Bride".

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