Before the Fosbury Flop the excessive leap occasion regarded sort of foolish

Fosbury Flop creator Dick Fosbury, the Olympic gold medalist handed away on the age of 76 and proper right here we’re taking a look at how the excessive leap technique was sooner than the well-known Fosbury Flop’s invention.

Dick Fosbury created the Fosbury Flop for the main time on the 1968 Mexico City Olympics the place athletes not solely modified the means by which excessive jumps are seen endlessly however as well as cleared 2.24 meters (7 toes, 4 1/4 inches) worthwhile the gold medal and setting a model new Olympic report.

What was the excessive leap like sooner than the Fosbury Flop?

Before the Fosbury Flop was invented, athletes had fairly a number of methods of doing the excessive leap and some of them are sometimes known as the scissor method the place one jumps on their toes and tries to cross the bar by positioning their legs as scissors.

Another well-liked method is the conventional one the place you’d merely use your full physique to leap higher.

In every methods, it practically regarded very foolish as athletes couldn’t use their full high to their profit. Look at how the excessive leap used to look sooner than Fosbury Flop beneath.

How Fosbury Flop revolutionized the excessive leap

Speaking of Fosbury Flop, Dick as quickly as outlined that he wanted to invent the model new method as he wasn’t getting any increased on the standard method of leaping. So instead of leaping straight, he took off at an angle, leaped backward, bent his physique proper right into a “J” type, and jumped his 6-foot-4 physique over the bar. He chosen to crash headfirst into the landing pit.

This technique shortly obtained well-liked amongst his pals as more and more highschool jumpers copied it afterward.

Athletes via the years have moreover talked regarding the sheer brilliance of the switch. 2012 Olympic excessive leap champion Erik Kynard Jr. gushed over the leap as quickly as saying, “It’s literally genius, And it takes huge courage, obviously. And took huge courage at the time to even consider something so dangerous. Due to the equipment then, it was something that was a little on edge to attempt.”

Twitter pays tribute to history-maker athlete

Twitter is pouring out tributes for the history-making athlete whose have an effect on modified how the world seems at excessive jumps endlessly.

Paying tribute to the athlete, a client wrote: “R.I.P. 1968 Olympic gold medalist and high jump legend/pioneer Dick Fosbury, who passed away on Sunday. Condolences to his family and friends. Godspeed, Fos, from an eternally grateful sport.”

Another one talked about: “Dick Fosbury revolutionized his sport. Genius hits a target nobody else can see.”

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