 The long jump has been part of all sporting competitions since
ancient times. It figured in the Games of 708 BC as part of the pentathlon: the jumper
took his run-up holding a small weight in each hand which gave greater impetus.The modern event was regulated in England and the USA in 1860: the
take-off had to be made from a 20cm wide board into a sand pit. Hand weights were not
used.
Until the 1920s, technique was fairly rudimentary, with the
legs tucked under the body immediately after take-off, then extended and subsequently
drawn up under the body again for landing.
Between 1922 and 1927, the Americans William De Hart
Hubbard (co-holder of the world 100 yards record of 9.6) and Robert LeGendre introduced
the "hitch kick", a running motion of the legs in mid-air. Variations of this,
and the more simple 'hang' technique, remain the norm today.
The first women's long jump contests took place in the USA
in 1895. The first IAAF women's world record dates back to 1928 although the event did not
make its first Olympic appearance until London in 1948. |
