Dick Fosbury flop: What is the fosbury high jump technique?

American high jumper Douglas Fosbury, who lived from March 6, 1947, to March 12, 2023, is regarded as one of the sport’s most significant performers.

Fosbury, an Oregon native who was raised in Portland, first tried out a novel high-jumping maneuver when he was 16 years old and a student at Medford High School.

Fosbury struggled to compete using the prevalent high-jumping strategies of the time.

He was unable to clear jumps of five feet (1.52 m) in his sophomore year, which is the height requirement for many high-school track competitions.

Dick Fosbury flop: What is the fosbury high jump technique?

With a “back-first” maneuver that has come to be known as the Fosbury Flop, he revolutionized the high jump competition and earned a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.

He used a different approach that allowed him a lower center of gravity in flight: he ran diagonally toward the bar, curled, and leaped backward over it.