High Jump

The high jump is an athletic competition in track and field in which competitors jump over a horizontal bar. The bar is placed at measured heights and the jump must be performed without the the help of any other devices, such as a pole vault. The high jump history is quite extensive, as this contest has been held since the original Olympic Games of ancient Greece. The first recorded high jump took place in Scotland in the 19th century with measured heights of up to 1.68 meters. Early techniques included a straight jump as well as a scissors style high jump, in which the bar was approached in diagonal fashion and the jumper threw the inside leg first and then the other leg over the bar in a “scissors” style maneuver. However, as the 20th century emerged, the high jumping sport evolved and so competitors developed new techniques in high jump theory. Some of these techniques included the Eastern Cut Off, in which the back is extended and flattened out over the bar, the Western Roll, which sees a diagonal jump with the inner leg used for the take off and the outer leg thrust up, and the Straddle technique, in which players rotated their torso around the bar from a Western Roll jump.

High Jump Rules And Technique

In high jump competition the bar is set at a low height and then moved upwards in increments (about two inches). Competitors sometimes have the option of choosing which height they want to start at, though it is often determined by the games committee. High jump athletes get three tries at each height and once they clear a height, they are cleared until the next height. Jumpers are allowed to pass on a specific height after failing to clear it and are disqualified after three consecutive misses. Jumpers who clear the highest jump are the decided winners, and if there is a tie then the athlete with the least number of failed tries wins.

How To High Jump

High jump training requires strength and agility and athletes train many years to achieve excellent form and shape. Learning high jump technique involves learning proper steps to the jump including the approach, the takeoff, the bar clearance and the pit landing. High jump techniques can be taught by following high jump drills. High jump style drills may involve practice sessions of straight starts, three point line runs, circle runs and skips, straights with circles, three and five step jumps, full approach with scissors kick, back arches and other relates exercises.

The world record high jump high jump record holder is Javier Sotomayor, with an indoor and outdoor record of 2.43 meters and 2.45 meters. If you are interested in improving your high jump then you could view high jump video explaining technique or invest in some quality high jump spikes. Popular high jump shoes brands include Nike, Adidas and Asics.