High Jump

track and field · jumping · athletics

Running backward leap. High jumpers don't jump straight up. They run fast at the bar, then leap backward with their head first and their back facing the bar. This backwards technique is called the Fosbury flop.

Bar gets higher. The bar starts at a low height, and if a jumper clears it without knocking it down, the bar goes up a little more. Jumpers keep trying until they miss three times.

Safe landing zone. Modern high jumps have a soft crash mat underneath the bar. This thick foam pad cushions jumpers when they land, keeping them safe during practice and competition.

Ancient origins. Humans have been jumping over things for thousands of years. High jumping became a formal sport, and athletes slowly figured out better and better ways to clear the bar.

Technique matters most. The Fosbury flop became popular because it lets jumpers clear much higher bars than older techniques. Today, almost every high jumper in the world uses this same head-first, backward method.