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You are here: Home / All The Lingo / Sports Terms That Begin With ‘H’ / High Jump

High Jump

high jump

What Is The Definition Of High Jump In Track & Field?

1. The high jump is a track and field event in which athletes complete a vertical jump unaided over a 4m-long horizontal bar and then land on a mat. The goal is to jump over the highest bar without knocking it over. 

What Are The High Jump Steps? 

What Is A High Jump In Track & Field? Definition & Meaning | SportsLingo

There are three elements to the high jump: the approach run, the takeoff, and the bar rotation.

In the approach, jumpers will run at a curve to lean away from the bar. Next, they attempt to use their initial velocity to propel vertically in the takeoff. Finally, they will rotate their body to clear the bar, often using a technique called the Fosbury Flop. 

What Are The Rules Of High Jump?

The jumper’s takeoff must be from only one foot, not two.  

Athletes get three attempts to clear each height. If they do not succeed by the third try, they are disqualified. If they do succeed, they continue to jump over increasingly higher bars.

In a tie-breaker, the winner is the jumper with the fewest failures at the greatest height. 

What Is The Highest High Jump?

The world record for the highest high jump is 2.45 m or 8 ft ¼ in. Javier Sotomayor has held this record since 1993.

Example Of How High Jump Is Used In Commentary

1. American Dick Fosbury revolutionized the high jump with his backward jumping technique: the Fosbury Flop.

Sport The Term Is Used

1. Track & Field

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