# Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump

The men's high jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held from Sunday 15 to Tuesday 17 August 1920. 22 high jumpers from nine nations competed. No nation had more than 4 jumpers, suggesting the limit had been reduced from the 12 maximum in force in 1908 and 1912. The event was won by Richmond Landon of the United States, the nation's sixth consecutive victory in the men's high jump. The American team also took silver, with Harold Muller finishing second. Sweden won its first medal in the event with Bo Ekelund's bronze.

## Background

This was the sixth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Returning finalists from the 1912 Games were ninth-place finisher Timothy Carroll and eleventh-place finisher Benjamin Howard Baker, both of Great Britain. The American team was favored; John Murphy had won the U.S. trials, with Richmond Landon second and Harold Muller third.
Czechoslovakia, Greece, and Luxembourg each made their debut in the event. The United States appeared for the sixth time, having competed at each edition of the Olympic men's high jump to that point.

## Competition format

The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1912. There were two distinct rounds of jumping with results cleared between rounds. All jumpers clearing 1.80 metres in the qualifying round advanced to the final. There were jump-offs in the final to resolve ties.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1920 Summer Olympics.
| World record | Edward Besson (USA) | 2.01 | Berkeley, United States | 2 May 1914 |
| Olympic record | Alma Richards (USA) | 1.93 | Stockholm, Sweden | 8 July 1912 |
Richmond Landon set a new Olympic record with 1.936 metres.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 15 August 1920 | 16:30 | Qualifying |
| Tuesday, 17 August 1920 | 14:30 | Final |

## Results
### Qualifying

High jumpers clearing 1.80 metres advanced to the final.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Height | Notes |
| 1 | Benjamin Howard Baker | Great Britain | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Timothy Carroll | Great Britain | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Bo Ekelund | Sweden | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Hans Jagenburg | Sweden | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | René Labat | France | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Richmond Landon | United States | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Pierre Lewden | France | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Harold Muller | United States | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | John Murphy | United States | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Thorvig Svahn | Sweden | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Einar Thulin | Sweden | 1.80 | Q |
| 1 | Walter Whalen | United States | 1.80 | Q |
| 13 | Pierre Guilloux | France | 1.75 | |
| 14 | Albert Harion | Belgium | 1.70 | |
| 14 | Eric Dunbar | Great Britain | 1.70 | |
| 16 | François Mahy | Belgium | 1.65 | |
| 16 | Jean Hénault | Belgium | 1.65 | |
| 16 | Dimitrios Andronidas | Greece | 1.65 | |
| 16 | František Stejskal | Czechoslovakia | 1.65 | |
| 20 | Henri Pleger | Luxembourg | 1.60 | |
| 21 | William Kennedy | Canada | No mark | |
| 21 | William Hunter | Great Britain | No mark | |

### Final

In a jump-off for silver, Muller beat Ekelund 1.88 metres to 1.85 metres. In a jump-off for fourth and fifth place, Whalen prevailed over Murphy though both jumped 1.89 metres.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Height | Notes |
| | Richmond Landon | United States | 1.936 | OR |
| | Harold Muller | United States | 1.90 | |
| | Bo Ekelund | Sweden | 1.90 | |
| 4 | Walter Whalen | United States | 1.85 | |
| 5 | John Murphy | United States | 1.85 | |
| 6 | Benjamin Howard Baker | Great Britain | 1.85 | |
| 7 | Pierre Lewden | France | 1.80 | |
| 7 | Einar Thulin | Sweden | 1.80 | |
| 9 | Timothy Carroll | Great Britain | 1.75 | |
| 9 | Hans Jagenburg | Sweden | 1.75 | |
| 9 | René Labat | France | 1.75 | |
| 9 | Thorvig Svahn | Sweden | 1.75 | |