History of the High Jump - Ben Challenger Ben Challenger Contact History of the High Jump The high jump is one of three athletic jumping events. Unlike the pole vault , competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without any assistance. Athletes have three chances to jump over the bar. If they succeed, the bar is raised and they get another three attempts to clear the next height. While it’s possible to pass at any point, competitors only have the number of jumps left at that height to get over the higher bar. Clearing the bar at the first attempt is ideal not only because it’s less tiring and boosts confidence, but also because any failed jumps count against in the event of a tie for medal places. Evolution of the high jump Ethel Catherwood scissors over the bar at the 1928 Olympics ( Source ) Though contested since the Olympic Games of ancient Greece , increasingly effective techniques have been pioneered by athletes in the centuries since. Early jumpers either approached the bar straight on or used a scissors technique, in which the bar is approached diagonally and the jumper throws both legs over the bar in a scissoring motion. Later athletes developed this into a more efficient straddle technique .

Straddle jumpers take off at a diagonal as with the scissors technique, but use the inner leg to take off before thrusting the outer leg up to lead the body sideways over the bar. In the parallel straddle the head and body pass the bar at the same time, while in the diving straddle the athlete rotates his torso around the bar for more efficient clearance. Ben jumps over the bar using the Fosbury Flop Jumpers had to land carefully to prevent injury in the sawdust or low matting previously used landing pits. But the introduction of raised, softer landing mats allowed Dick Fosbury to pioneer a new technique by throwing himself over the bar head and shoulders first and landing on his back. After he brought attention to his innovation by winning gold at the 1986 Olympic Games, the Fosbury Flop was rapidly adopted by high jumpers and is now used universally, though athletes still use the other techniques to help warm up and train. More about the high jump Straddler - definition of straddler by The Free Dictionary Straddler - definition of straddler by The Free Dictionary v. strad·dled, strad·dling, strad·dles v.tr. 1. a.

To stand or sit with a leg on each side of; bestride: straddle a horse. b. To be on both sides of; extend over or across: a car straddling the centerline. 2. To appear to favor both sides of (an issue). 3. To fire shots behind and in front of (a target) in order to determine the range. v.intr. 1. To walk, stand, or sit with the legs wide apart, especially to sit astride. 2. To spread out in a disorderly way; sprawl. 3. To appear to favor both sides of an issue. 4. To place a bet in poker before the cards are dealt that is twice the amount of the big blind when one is immediately to the left of the big blind. n. 1. The act or posture of sitting astride. 2. An equivocal or a noncommittal position. 3. The simultaneous purchase or sale of a call option and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date as a means of speculating on the degree of price change in the underlying asset. 4. The bet made when straddling in poker. Idiom: 1.

(tr) to have one leg, part, or support on each side of 2. (tr) informal US and Canadian to be in favour of both sides of (something) 3. (intr) to stand, walk, or sit with the legs apart 4. (tr) to spread (the legs) apart 5. (Military) military to fire a number of shots slightly beyond and slightly short of (a target) to determine the correct range 6. (Card Games) (intr) (in poker, of the second player after the dealer) to double the ante before looking at one's cards n 7. the act or position of straddling 8. a noncommittal attitude or stand 9. (Stock Exchange) commerce a contract or option permitting its purchaser to either sell or buy securities or commodities within a specified period of time at specified prices. It is a combination of a put and a call option. Compare spread 24c 10. (Athletics (Track & Field)) athletics a high-jumping technique in which the body is parallel with the bar and the legs straddle it at the highest point of the jump 11.

(Card Games) (in poker) the stake put up after the ante in poker by the second player after the dealer 12. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) Irish a wooden frame placed on a horse's back to which panniers are attached [C16: frequentative formed from obsolete strad- (Old English strode), past stem of stride] ˈstraddler n 1. to walk, stand, or sit with the legs wide apart; stand or sit astride. 2. to be positioned wide apart, as the legs. 3. to favor or appear to favor both of two opposite sides; equivocate. v.t. 4. to stand or sit astride of: to straddle a horse. 5. to favor or appear to favor both sides of: straddle an issue. n. 6. an act or instance of straddling. 7. the taking of a noncommittal position. 8. the simultaneous purchase of a stock option to buy and one to sell, in an effort to hedge one's risk. [1555–65; appar. irreg. frequentative (with -le ) of stride ] strad′dler, n.

I will have been straddling you will have been straddling he/she/it will have been straddling we will have been straddling you will have been straddling they will have been straddling Past Perfect Continuous they would have straddled straddle An old style of high jumping in which a jumper takes off from the foot nearest to the bar, crossing it stomach downward in a draped position. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: 1. straddle - a noncommittal or equivocal position perspective , view , position - a way of regarding situations or topics etc.; "consider what follows from the positivist view" 2. straddle - a gymnastic exercise performed with a leg on either side of the parallel bars gymnastic exercise - (gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus) 3.

span call option , call - the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date put , put option - the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date movement , motility , motion , move - a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility" 4. straddle - the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; consists of an equal number of put and call options option - the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited Verb 1. straddle - sit or stand astride of be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" 2.

range constitute , make up , comprise , be , represent - form or compose; "This money is my only income"; "The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance"; "These constitute my entire belonging"; "The children made up the chorus"; "This sum represents my entire income for a year"; "These few men comprise his entire army" spread-eagle - stretch over; "His residences spread-eagle the entire county" 3. Learn and talk about Fosbury Flop, 1965 introductions, 1968 Summer Olympics, Athletics (track and field) terminology, High jump The center of gravity stays under the bar. The approach (or run-up) in the Flop style of high jump is characterized by (at least) the final four or five steps being run in a curve, allowing the athlete to lean into his or her turn, away from the bar. This allows the center of gravity to be lowered even before knee flexion, giving a longer time period for the take-off thrust. Additionally, on take-off the sudden move from inward lean to outwards produces a rotation of the jumper's body along the axis of the bar, aiding clearance.

Combined with the rotation around the jumper's vertical axis produced by the drive leg (think of an ice skater spinning round on the spot) the resulting body position on bar clearance is laid out supine with the body at ninety degrees to the bar with the head and shoulders crossing the bar before the trunk and legs. This gives the Flop its characteristic "backwards over the bar" appearance, with the athlete landing on the mat on his shoulders and back. While in flight the athlete can progressively arch shoulders, back and legs in a rolling motion, keeping as much of the body as possible below the bar. It is possible for the athlete to clear the bar while his or her body's center of gravity remains as much as 20 cm below it. [2] While the Straddle style required strength in the takeoff knee and could be used by relatively burly athletes (cf. Valeriy Brumel ), the Flop allowed athletes of a slender build to use their co-ordination to greater effect and not risk the knee injuries which they had previously suffered from other styles.

Predominantly, athletes using the Flop use a "J" shaped approach, where the first three to five strides head in a straight line at ninety degrees to the bar, with the final four to five being run in a curve as noted above. Some athletes prefer to run all of their strides in a curve; this is known as a "C" shape approach. This was the approach used by Fosbury himself but can lead to errors and inconsistencies in speed, foot placement, angle of approach and body attitude at take-off. Fosbury himself cleared the bar with his hands by his sides, whereas some athletes cross the bar with their arms held out sidewards or even above their heads, optimising their mass distribution. Studies show that variations in approach, arm technique and other factors can be adjusted to achieve the best performance for each athlete. [3] For similar reasons noted as drawbacks to the "C" shaped approach, the optimal speed of approach in the Flop is not a full-out sprint. Similarly, increasing the number of strides beyond eight or ten is not recommended unless the athlete has achieved high consistency in the approach and can handle the increased speed. The angle of take-off towards the bar is usually somewhere between fifteen and thirty degrees.

The angle must not be too shallow or the jumper jumps too far along the bar, landing on it. If the angle is too wide, there is not enough time to "lay out" in the air. The "broken" leg (which is thrust into the air first at take-off) is always the nearer leg to the bar. Thus someone who uses a left foot take-off (where the left foot transmits the jump force and is the latter to leave the ground) will approach the bar from its right hand side, curving to his left so that the bar approaches his right shoulder. The right leg will drive into the air and the jumper's body rotates anti-clockwise around the vertical axis to present his back to the bar in flight. As well as driving the leg and hips at take-off, the athlete should drive or even swing his arms into the air, contributing to the upwards momentum. References[ edit ] ^ Durso, Joseph (20 October 1968). "Fearless Fosbury Flops to Glory" . The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2013. ^ Van Pelt, Michael (2005). Space Tourism: Adventures in Earth Orbit and Beyond. Springer.

p. 185. ISBN 0-387-40213-6 . Straddle - definition of straddle by The Free Dictionary Straddle - definition of straddle by The Free Dictionary v. strad·dled, strad·dling, strad·dles v.tr. 1. a. To stand or sit with a leg on each side of; bestride: straddle a horse. b. To be on both sides of; extend over or across: a car straddling the centerline. 2. To appear to favor both sides of (an issue). 3. To fire shots behind and in front of (a target) in order to determine the range. v.intr. 1. To walk, stand, or sit with the legs wide apart, especially to sit astride. 2. To spread out in a disorderly way; sprawl. 3. To appear to favor both sides of an issue. 4. To place a bet in poker before the cards are dealt that is twice the amount of the big blind when one is immediately to the left of the big blind. n. 1. The act or posture of sitting astride. 2. An equivocal or a noncommittal position.

3. The simultaneous purchase or sale of a call option and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date as a means of speculating on the degree of price change in the underlying asset. 4. The bet made when straddling in poker. Idiom: 1. (tr) to have one leg, part, or support on each side of 2. (tr) informal US and Canadian to be in favour of both sides of (something) 3. (intr) to stand, walk, or sit with the legs apart 4. (tr) to spread (the legs) apart 5. (Military) military to fire a number of shots slightly beyond and slightly short of (a target) to determine the correct range 6. (Card Games) (intr) (in poker, of the second player after the dealer) to double the ante before looking at one's cards n 7. the act or position of straddling 8. a noncommittal attitude or stand 9. (Stock Exchange) commerce a contract or option permitting its purchaser to either sell or buy securities or commodities within a specified period of time at specified prices. It is a combination of a put and a call option.

Compare spread 24c 10. (Athletics (Track & Field)) athletics a high-jumping technique in which the body is parallel with the bar and the legs straddle it at the highest point of the jump 11. (Card Games) (in poker) the stake put up after the ante in poker by the second player after the dealer 12. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) Irish a wooden frame placed on a horse's back to which panniers are attached [C16: frequentative formed from obsolete strad- (Old English strode), past stem of stride] ˈstraddler n 1. to walk, stand, or sit with the legs wide apart; stand or sit astride. 2. to be positioned wide apart, as the legs. 3. to favor or appear to favor both of two opposite sides; equivocate. v.t. 4. to stand or sit astride of: to straddle a horse. 5. to favor or appear to favor both sides of: straddle an issue. n. 6. an act or instance of straddling. 7. the taking of a noncommittal position. 8.

the simultaneous purchase of a stock option to buy and one to sell, in an effort to hedge one's risk. [1555–65; appar. irreg. frequentative (with -le ) of stride ] strad′dler, n. I will have been straddling you will have been straddling he/she/it will have been straddling we will have been straddling you will have been straddling they will have been straddling Past Perfect Continuous they would have straddled straddle An old style of high jumping in which a jumper takes off from the foot nearest to the bar, crossing it stomach downward in a draped position. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: 1. straddle - a noncommittal or equivocal position perspective , view , position - a way of regarding situations or topics etc.; "consider what follows from the positivist view" 2. straddle - a gymnastic exercise performed with a leg on either side of the parallel bars gymnastic exercise - (gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus) 3.

span call option , call - the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date put , put option - the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date movement , motility , motion , move - a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility" 4. straddle - the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; consists of an equal number of put and call options option - the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited Verb 1. straddle - sit or stand astride of be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" 2.

range constitute , make up , comprise , be , represent - form or compose; "This money is my only income"; "The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance"; "These constitute my entire belonging"; "The children made up the chorus"; "This sum represents my entire income for a year"; "These few men comprise his entire army" spread-eagle - stretch over; "His residences spread-eagle the entire county" 3. High jump - Phantis High jump Jump to: navigation , search The high jump is an athletics (track and field) event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without 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 both the indoor and outdoor world record holder in this event with jumps of 2.43m (8 feet) and 2.45m (8 feet ½ inch), respectively. Performed as early as the Olympics in ancient Greece, the first recorded high jump event took place in Scotland in the 19th century , with heights of up to (1.68 m) contested.

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' 5⅝" (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 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 m (6' 8").

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 to date. Straddle-jumper Charles Dumas broke the elusive 7' (2.13 m) barrier in 1956 , and American wunderkind John Thomas pushed the world mark to 2.23 m (7' 3¾") 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 m (7' 5¾"), 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 m (7' 7¾") in 1977 and then 2.35 m (7' 8½") indoors in 1978 .

Among renowned high jumpers following Fosbury's lead were: Americans Dwight Stones and his rival, 5' 8" (1.73 m) Franklin Jacobs of Paterson, NJ, who cleared 2.32 m (7' 7¼"), an astounding two feet (0.59 m) over his head; 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. Contents High Jump Abstracts High Jump Abstracts Searching for the best straddle technique Dapena, J. -- Track Technique, Los Altos, CA (March 1974),55, pp. 1753-1756 When a straddle high jumper reaches the bar he must have a basic rotation obtained during the takeoff. Without this basic rotation it is impossible for the jumper to do a normal bar clearance. The acquisition of this basic rotation is done at the expense of a loss in the height that the center of gravity (c.

g.) of the jumper will reach. So, the basic rotation acquired at takeoff must be as small as possible in order to make the c. g. reach the greatest height. After takeoff, the parabola to be followed by the c. g. is fixed, and the angular momentum of the body remains constant. They cannot be changed until the athlete touches the ground again. Still, the athlete can move with a certain freedom after takeoff: 1) He can lower some part of his body. As his c. g. cannot change its parabola, some other part of the body will have to go up as a compensation. 2) He can make some part of his body rotate slower than the rest. As his total angular momentum cannot be changed in mid-air, some other part of the body must rotate faster as a compensation. 3) By altering the position of his limbs, he can change the moment of inertia about his axis of rotation and therefore turn at different speeds. The better the jumper uses these movements, the less basic rotation he will need in order to clear the bar. Thus, he will be able to elevate his c. g. more. The high jump takeoff mechanism Ozolin, N.

-- Track Technique, Los Altos, CA (1973), 52, pp. 1668-1671 The support phase of the takeoff is the means by which the horizontal speed built up in the run-up is transposed into vertical speed. The horizontal speed is not smoothly transformed into vertical speed. Instead, another mechanism acts the energy amassed during the run-up is absorbed in the pushoff and is used at that time to get a very active takeoff. As the supporting leg bends, the straining muscles stretch out, and powerful contracting forces arise in them. The "explosion" occurs at the moment when the pressure on the support eases. This moment is related to the motion of the swinging leg. During the support phase only a small part of the horizontal speed is left to be used for going over the bar. There are only two ways to increase takeoff effectiveness. Both ways require an increase of horizontal speed in the run-up, in order to impart greater energy into the takeoff leg. In the first variant, the legs must be placed further forward and the angle of body lean must be increased.

This puts a much greater load on the muscles of the support leg and may require a greater load on the muscles and a greater bending of this leg. The muscles have to be very strong in order to complete a takeoff effectively from such a position. It is natural, in this case, for the support leg to last longer. The second variant seems to be more promising. In this method the fast horizontal speed must provide a powerful charge of kinetic energy to the support leg and must enable the jumper to use this energy in the shortest possible time and with optimum effect. To do this the foot must not be as far forward, the body lean must be less, the support leg less bent and the support, or takeoff, phase must take less time. To some degree, the second variant already exists. It is the Fosbury flop. In record jumps the time used for the takeoff was 0.17-0.18 sec for Brumel, but only 0.12-0.13 sec for the Fosbury flop. The plant and takeoff in the Fosbury flop Santos, J.

-- Track and Field Quarterly Review, Kalamazoo, MI., 79 (1979), 1, pp. 48-49 The key to successful jumping by using the flop as a technique is not bar clearance in itself, and the technique involved, but rather the key is how high can the jumper raise his center of mass. A jumper can have a bar clearance technique that is perfect in regards to mechanical features in the jump, but if he can only raise his center of mass to a height of 6-10, he may remain strictly a 6-10 jumper. Raising the center of mass as high as possible over the bar therefore is the most important factor in high jumping, and practice sessions and training sessions should be devoted greatly to this task. It is for this reason that at least 80-90% of the coaching and training should be devoted to the approach, the plant and the takeoff in the flop, rather than spend time on bar clearance technique as a major portion of the training sessions. Why use a curved approach to the flop high jumping style? Paolillo, B.

-- Modern Athlete and Coach, Adelaide, 27 (1989), 1, pp. 19-20; also in: Athletics Coach, Birmingham (England) 23 (June 1989),2, pp. 27-28; Track and Field Coaches Review, Gainesville, FL., 97 (1997),2, p. 25 The purpose of the approach in any high jumping style is to assist the athlete in clearing the crossbar. A straight line approach is obviously faster than one that is curved. The problem in the flop bar clearance is somehow to get the jumper's body into a horizontal position at the instant of bar clearance. Let us assume the athlete is leaning away from the bar at the instant the takeoff foot is planted. As the athlete executes the takeoff motions bent free leg, knee driving upward slightly toward the far upright, simultaneous single or double arm action and extension of the takeoff leg the athlete rotates toward the bar along an axis on the ground, which passes through his/her takeoff foot parallel to the crossbar. At the instant the athlete's body becomes vertical, he/she leaves the ground.

This rotation about the axis on the ground transfers to rotation about an axis, which passes through the athlete's center of gravity at the instant he/she breaks ground contact. Thus, the rotation that originated on the ground during takeoff becomes the angular (turning) force that turns the body from vertical to horizontal for an efficient bar clearance. How the free limbs are used by elite high jumpers in generating vertical velocity Lees, A; Rojas, J; Cepero, M.; Soto, V.; Gutierrez, M. -- Ergonomics, London, 43 (2000), 70, pp. 1622- 1636 The aim of this study was to quantify how elite high jumpers use their free limbs in a competitive high jump and to estimate the contribution that these made to vertical take-off velocity. This was achieved by analyzing the competitive performances of six elite male high jumpers using 3D motion analysis and assessing limb function using the relative momentum method.

The mean peak relative momentum of the arm nearest to the bar at take-off was 9.4 kg/mis, while that of the arm furthest away from the bar was 11.3 kg/m/s and these did not differ significantly. The free (lead) leg reached a mean peak relative momentum of 20.9 kg/m/s. At touch-down the free leg had a large positive relative momentum that was offset by the negative relative momentum of the arms, although their combined value still remained positive. The mean combined free limbs' relative momentum at touch-down was 13.8 kg/m/s and reached a peak of 37.6 kg/m/s. The difference between these two values amounted to 7.1% of whole-body momentum, which was judged to be the amount by which the free limbs contributed to performance. The arms had a greater influence on performance than had the lead leg. This was because the lead leg increased its relative momentum little during the contact period while the arms had an initial negative value that increased markedly after touch-down.

The compressive force exerted by the motion of the free limbs, estimated by the change in the combined free limbs' relative momentum, reached a mean peak of 366 N and was greatest at 37% of the contact period. It was concluded that to maximize the contribution the free limbs can make to performance, given the restraints imposed on technique by other performance requirements, the arms should have a vigorous downward motion at touchdown to make the most use of the high (but little changing) relative momentum of the lead leg. High jump: technical aspects Patrick. S. -- Track Coach, Mountain View, CA (Spring 2001), 155, pp. 4938-4940 The high jump is a technical event. While most jumpers feel that the bar clearance is the most important aspect of high jumping, it is not. Just as with the other three jumping events (LJ, TJ, and PV), the run-up or approach is probably the most important aspect of the event. In fact when you look at good junior high jumpers, they often have perfect (or near-perfect] bar clearance technique. What they lack, however, is a perfect approach run.

The main concept with an approach run is to develop a lot of horizontal velocity, directly towards the pit. A sharp, curving turn at the end of the approach run creates rotation, allowing the athlete to jump with his back to the bar. Horizontal velocity provides for two things: (1) Translation of increased horizontal velocity into vertical velocity results in greater jumping heights. (2) The greater the horizontal velocity, the farther away an individual can take off, allowing for a more gradual takeoff angle. This is also advantageous because it provides the athlete with more time to reach peak height. Although the high jump approach run shares many characteristics with the approach runs of the other jumping events it is unique in that it curves. If the athlete has performed the approach run and takeoff correctly, there will be little problem with bar clearance. Much more crucial is the takeoff, which should be short and quick. The lead leg should be raised very quickly and should "block" once the thigh is parallel to the ground. It is important that the lead leg block while the jumping leg is still in contact with the ground. The arms should swing forward and upward and should also block while the jumping leg is still in contact with the ground.

Since every action causes an equal but opposite reaction, this blocking will increase the "push" of the jumping leg off the ground. The athlete should attempt to jump straight up, and not towards the bar his horizontal velocity and the rotation started by the lean into the turn will cause him to head over the bar. High Jump history | Greatest Sporting Nation High Jump history Submitted by nicolamira on 29 November, 2009 - 10:00 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, 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 (2.0 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 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 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, Franklin Jacobs of Paterson, NJ, who cleared 2.32 metres an astounding 0.61 m over his head height; 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. Today all the best high jumpers in the world prefer the Fosbury technique. However, the last men’s world record with the straddle was 2.35 m in 1978, which would still be an absolute top performance today.

It is clear then that the dominance of the Fosbudry flop originates in an easier-to-learn basic form rather than in fundamental biomechanical advantages. Beginners have better results with the flop and improve faster. High Jump Masters Track and Field From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The high jump is an athletics (track and field) History Performed as early as the Olympics in ancient Greece, the first recorded high jump event took place in Scotland in the 19th century, with heights of up to (1.68 m) contested. 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' 5⅝" (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' 7" (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 m (6' 8"). Procedures and rules In a competition, the bar is initially set at a relatively low height, and is moved upward in set increments (usually 3 or 5 centimetres, approximately 2 inches, but can be as little as 1 cm for record attempts). Each competitor has the option of choosing at which height they wish to start, as long as the height is greater or equal to the designated starting height for that competition. The starting height is usually determined by the games committee for the competition. Once a competitor has elected to begin, they receive three attempts at each height and once they clear a height, they are cleared until the next height.

Competitors can choose whether or not to attempt subsequent heights. A competitor may choose to pass at a given height or, after failing to clear the bar at a given height, may "pass" on subsequent attempts at that height. Any competitor who records three consecutive misses is out of the competition. The competitor who clears the highest jump is declared the winner. If two or more competitors clear the same maximum height, the competitor with the least number of failed attempts at the best height cleared wins. If these are equal, the winner is the person who has had the least number of failures overall during the competition. If that fails to break a tie for first place, a jump off is conducted. In a jump off, competitors are given one additional attempt at the last height attempted. If one of the competitors clears the height, they are considered the winner. If both competitors clear the height, the bar is moved up by 2 cm and the process is completed. If both competitors fail the height the bar is moved back down 2 cm. This process is repeated until one competitor clears a height and the other fails. If the final height of the jump off is less than the highest height cleared during regular competition, the highest height cleared during the competition will be recorded for the results.

Heights obtained in such a jump off are eligible for records. The modern high jump bar is made of glass-reinforced plastic or aluminum. Other materials are allowed, but there are weight and sag restrictions. The bar is approximately 4 metres in length (IAAF rules control length for record purposes), with a round, triangular, or square cross-section for most of its length, and two square resting points at each end. It is placed at a measured height on two uprights, or standards, which allow the bar to rest on its ends at a measured height. Cleared heights are reported by measuring from the take-off level to the top edge of the lowest part of the bar. Directly behind the bar is a soft foam mat that allows for a safe landing. Competitors must jump off one foot to clear the bar. Although they may touch the bar in their clearance, the jump is ruled unsuccessful if the bar falls. In rare instances competitors have been allowed to retry an attempt where the bar has fallen. This may occur if the official declares that the bar fell due to external circumstances such as wind, rain or faulty equipment.

High Jump Shoes High Jump shoes are different from any other Track shoe in that there are an additional three to four holes in the heel where the user can insert spikes for increased traction. Like the pole vault, heel strike in the high jump is important for lift-off as it allows the user to efficiently transfer energy. In addition, heel spikes aid greatly when the jumper makes the last four to five steps of his/her approach. Special seminar will mark 50th anniversary of Brumel’s Olympic high jump victory| News | iaaf.org Valeriy Brumel wins the 1964 Olympic high jump title (Getty Images) © Copyright 21 OCT 2014 General News Agazzano, Italy Special seminar will mark 50th anniversary of Brumel’s Olympic high jump victory - Read on for English and French language versions of this story - La traduction française suit le texte anglais Today (21 October) marks 50 years since Valeriy Brumel won the Olympic high jump title in Tokyo. To mark Brumel’s momentous use of the straddle technique, a special seminar will take place on Sunday (26) in Agazzano, Italy.

The seminar is entitled “Il Ventrale: bellezza di un gesto che fu arte prima di essere sport”, which loosely translates to “The straddle: the beauty of a style which was an art before it became a sport”. Several Italian high jumpers will be present, including Giacomo Crosa, who finished sixth in the 1968 Olympic high jump final when Dick Fosbury revolutionised the event. The 1964 Olympic high jump final was a memorable one. Brumel had won the silver medal as a teenager at the previous Games and went to Tokyo as the big favourite, having broken the world record six times between 1961 and 1963. But the final in Tokyo was much closer than expected as USA’s former world record-holder John Thomas pushed Brumel all the way, both athletes clearing an Olympic record of 2.18m. The title was eventually settled on count-back. Thomas’s second-time failure at 2.16m proved costly as Brumel was declared the champion.

In taking gold, Brumel gained redemption, having been in an almost identical scenario four years prior – clearing an Olympic record with the title being decided on count-back – when he had to settle for the silver medal. Four years after Brumel struck gold in Tokyo, Fosbury’s Olympic title in 1968 marked a new era for the event. With the exception of 1972 winner Juri Tarmak, every Olympic champion since then has used the Fosbury flop, although many jumpers still used the straddle technique at least until the beginning of the 1980s. The content of the seminar is not technical; instead, it is intended to be a historical revival of the straddle. The organisers of the seminar, including Giovanni Baldini and Ottavio Castellini, will present a 76-page booklet and a 20-minute video. The seminar will be held at the Agazzano Parish Center on Sunday and begins at 10:30am.

IAAF Un séminaire spécial va marquer le 50e anniversaire de la victoire olympique de Brumel au saut en hauteur Aujourd'hui, (21 octobre) est le 50e anniversaire du titre olympique du saut en hauteur remporté par Valeriy Brumel à Tokyo. En l'honneur de la technique du rouleau ventral, que Brumel maîtrisait à la perfection, un séminaire spécial se tiendra dimanche (26 octobre) dans la ville italienne d'Agazzano. Ce séminaire s'intitulera "Il Ventrale: bellezza di un gesto che fu arte prima di essere sport", [Le rouleau ventral: la beauté d'un geste qui était art avant de devenir sport]. Plusieurs spécialistes italiens de la hauteur seront présents à cette occasion, dont Giacomo Crosa, sixième de la finale olympique de 1968 remportée par Dick Fosbury, qui y a fait une véritable démonstration de sa technique révolutionnaire.

La finale de la hauteur de Tokyo 1964 a été très mémorable. Brumel, médaillé d'argent des Jeux précédents, alors qu'il n'avait pas encore vingt ans, était arrivé à Tokyo en position de grand favori, ayant établi six records du monde entre 1961 et 1963. La finale de Tokyo fut portant bien plus serrée qu'anticipé, l'ancien recordman du monde américain, John Thomas, poussant Brumel à puiser au plus profond de ses réserves, et les deux hommes ont chacun franchi 2,18m un nouveau record olympique. Le titre a finalement été déterminé au count-back, le second essai manqué de Thomas à 2,16m lui coûtant la première place, et Brumel a été déclaré le nouveau champion olympique.

Avec cette médaille d'or, Brumel prenait sa revanche sur 1960, lorsqu'il avait été relégué en seconde place, au count-back là aussi, en dépit d'avoir, déjà, franchi le record olympique. Quatre ans après Tokyo, le titre de Fosbury à Mexico a marqué une nouvelle ère pour le saut en hauteur: en effet, à l'exception du vainqueur de Munich 1972, Juri Tarmak, tous les titres olympiques depuis lors ont été remportés par un athlète employant la technique dite du Fosbury flop, même si de nombreux sauteurs ont continué à utiliser la technique du ventral, au moins jusqu'au début des années 80. Le contenu du séminaire n'est pas technique – il vise plutôt à célébrer l'histoire du rouleau ventral. Les organisateurs, au nombre desquels figurent Giovanni Baldini et Ottavio Castellini, y présenteront un livret de 76 pages ainsi qu'un film de 20 minutes.

Le séminaire se tient dimanche à 10h30 au Centre paroissial d'Agazzano. IAAF High jump-Track and Field Drills and Practice Plans High jump The high jump is an athletics (track and field) event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without 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 both the indoor and outdoor world record holder in this event with jumps of 2.43m (7 feet 11½ inches) and 2.45m (8 feet ½ inch), respectively. History Although the event was likely competed in as early as the ancient Greek Olympics, the first recorded high jump competition took place in Scotland in the early 19th century , with clearances of up to 5'6" (1.68 m) measured. Early but old jumpers used either a straight on approach or a scissors technique.

In the latter, the bar was approached on a diagonal, and the jumper threw first the inside leg and then the other over the bar in a scissoring motion. Around the turn of the century, techniques began to modernise, starting with M.F. Sweeney 's Eastern cut-off . By taking off as in the scissors, but extending his back and flattening out over the bar, the Irish-American gained a more economic clearance and took the world record to 6'5-5/8" (1.97 m) in 1895 . Another American, M.F. Horine , developed a yet 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 took the world standard to 6'7" (2.01 m) in 1912 . His technique predominated through the Berlin Olympics of 1936 where the event was won by Cornelius Johnson at 2.03 m (6'9-3/4").

American and then Russian jumpers dominated the next four decades, which saw 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 to date. Straddle-jumper Charles Dumas broke the elusive 7' (2.13 m) barrier in 1956 , and American wunderkind John Thomas pushed the world mark to 2.23 m (7'3-3/4") 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 m (7'5-3/4"), and won the Olympic gold medal in 1964 , before a motorcycle accident foreshortened 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 m (7'7-3/4") in 1977 and then 2.35 m (7'8-1/2") indoors in 1978.

Among renowned high jumpers following Fosbury's lead were: Americans Dwight Stones and his rival, 5'8" (1.73 m) Franklin Jacobs , who cleared 2.32 m (7'7-1/4"), an astounding two feet (0.59 m) over his head; 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 . Procedures and rules In a competition, the bar is initially set at a relatively low height, and is moved upward in set increments (usually 3 or 5 centimetres, approximately 2 inches, but can be as little as 1 cm for record attempts). Each competitor has the option of choosing at which height they wish to start, as long as the height is greater than the designated starting height for that competition. The starting height is usually determined by the games committee for the competition.

Once a competitor has elected to begin, they receive three attempts at each height and once they clear a height, they are cleared until the next height. Competitors can choose whether or not to attempt subsequent heights. A competitor may choose to pass at a given height or, after failing to clear the bar at a given height, may "pass" on subsequent attempts at that height. Any competitor who records three consecutive misses is out of the competition. The competitor who clears the highest jump is declared the winner. If two or more competitors clear the same maximum height, the competitor with the least number of failed attempts at the best height cleared wins. If these are equal, the winner is the person who has had the least number of failures overall during the competition. If that fails to break a tie for first place, a jump off is conducted. In a jump off, competitors are given 1 additional attempt at the last height attempted. If one of the competitors clears the height, they are considered the winner. If both competitors clear the height, the bar is moved up by 1 inch and the process is completed. If both competitors fail the height the bar is move back down 1 inch. This process is repeated until one competitor clears a height and the other fails.

If the final height of the jump off is less than the highest height cleared during regular competition, the highest height cleared during the competition will be recorded for the results. Heights obtained in such a jump off are eligible for records. The modern high jump bar is made of glass-reinforced plastic or aluminum . Other materials are allowed, but there are weight and sag restrictions. The bar is approximately 4 metres in length ( IAAF rules control length for record purposes), with a round, triangular, or square cross-section for most of its length, and two square resting points at each end. It is placed at a measured height on two uprights, or standards, which allow the bar to rest on its ends at a measured height. Cleared heights are reported by measuring from the take-off point to the top edge of the lowest part of the bar. Directly behind the bar is a soft foam mat that allows for a safe landing. Competitors must jump off one foot to clear the bar. Although they may touch the bar in their clearance, the jump is ruled unsuccessful if the bar falls. There are rare instances when competitors have been allowed to retry an attempt where the bar has fallen.

This can only happen if the official declares that the bar fell due to other external circumstances, such as wind. Current status At all but novice levels of competition, or where built-up landing areas are not available, the Fosbury Flop is now almost universally used, although Guernsey athlete Dale Garland used the straddle when placing fifth in the decathlon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games . The current men's world record of 2.45 m (8'0-1/2") was set in 1993 by Cuba's Javier Sotomayor , while the women's world record holder is Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria. In the 2004 Olympics, Sweden's Stefan Holm won the men's gold medal at 2.36 meters, and Russia's Yelena Slesarenko outjumped two-time world champion Hestrie Cloete to win the women's title. Holm, at 1.81 m tall, equaled Franklin Jacobs' height-over-head record of 59 cm when he cleared 2.40 m (7'10-1/2") to win the European Indoor championships in March 2005.

Source: Wikipedia

Question: The Straddle Technique was a style performed in which athletics event?
Answer: High Jump