High Jump...Dick Fosbury and 'the flop'

For the majority of people, the high jump has always had one particular style...the 'Fosbury Flop'. The athlete essentially jumps over the bar head first with their shoulders and back closest to the ground with their legs trailing behind and then flipped upwards at the last moment. It may seem that it was always this way but prior to 1968, high jump techniques were completely different.

In the early part of the 20th century, the 'scissors' was popular but this was largely replaced later with variations of the 'straddle'. This technique was the dominant style until the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968 when a relatively unknown US high jumper called Dick Fosbury took the Gold.....(video HERE although it's a bit long)

The Guardian had an interesting piece on the 'Fosbury Flop' on Tuesday and how it changed the high jump forever.....Article HERE

In this interview, Dick Fosbury talks about the technique named after him and it's impact on the sport...