Before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, hardly anyone—inside or outside the United States—had heard of Dick Fosbury. But by the end of the Games, the lanky American high jumper had not only won a gold medal, he had revolutionised the sport forever.The high jump, a key event in track and field, had long relied on traditional techniques such as the straddle, the Western roll, the Eastern cut-off, and the scissors jump. These styles involved jumping face-forward or sideways over the bar. But Fosbury had a different idea—one that would flip the world of athletics on its head. Literally.Five years before his Olympic triumph, 16-year-old Fosbury was a promising athlete in Portland, Oregon, growing increasingly frustrated with the scissors technique. He believed he could achieve greater heights by lowering his centre of gravity while crossing the bar. Through trial and error, he developed a unique method: sprinting towards the bar in a J-shaped curve, turning his back to it at the last moment, and soaring over head first, back arched, feet flying. It looked strange—almost comical at first—but it worked. The “Fosbury Flop” was born.Almost immediately, his results improved. He raised his personal best from 1.62 metres to 1.78 metres using his new style. Within two years, he had cleared the two-metre mark. Olympic selection followed naturally, and in Mexico, he faced 11 competitors, all using the old straddle technique. One by one, they were eliminated. With his final jump, Fosbury cleared 2.24 metres—setting a new Olympic record and securing the gold.Despite early warnings from coaches that others trying the technique might risk injury—even broken necks—Fosbury’s success turned scepticism into curiosity. Soon, athletes around the world began to imitate his method. The results spoke for themselves. Within a few years, the Fosbury Flop had become the gold standard for high jumpers everywhere.Today, every elite high jumper in the world uses the technique pioneered by the once-unknown teenager from Oregon. Dick Fosbury didn’t just win a medal—he changed the sport forever.
