Men's high jump world record progression
A plaque on Vasil Levski National Stadium , Sofia, Bulgaria, commemorating Valeriy Brumel 's high jump world record of 2.25 m set on 31 August 1961
The first world record in the men's high jump was recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1912.
As of June 2009, the IAAF has ratified 40 world records in the event.[ 1]
Fourteen of the 16 records from 1912 to 1960 were set in the United States and were originally measured in feet and inches; they were converted to metric before being ratified as world records. As of January 1, 1963, records were accepted as metric marks, with marks measured in feet and inches to the nearest quarter-inch and rounded down to the nearest centimetre.[ 2] : vii, 155–157 When measurements were taken in feet and inches the bar could be raised, for record-attempt purposes, in increments of one-quarter inch. Under the metric system, a new record must be (at least) one centimeter higher. In 1973, American Dwight Stones was the first Fosbury Flop jumper to set a world record. The namesake of the technique, Dick Fosbury impressed the world by winning the 1968 Olympics with the flop, but never held the world record. The last Straddle style jumper to hold the World Record was Vladimir Yashchenko (Soviet Union/Ukraine) in 1978; all record-setters since then have used the Flop technique.
The world record of 2.45 metres (8.04 ft) by Cuban Javier Sotomayor in 1993 has never been surpassed.
Progression
Ratified
Ratified but later rescinded
Pre-IAAF
Mark
Athlete
Venue
Date
1.575 m (5 ft 2 in)
Adam Wilson (GBR )
Innerleithen
September 26, 1827 [ 3]
1.60 m (5 ft 2+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Thomas Anderson (GBR )
Innerleithen
July 24, 1829 [ 3]
1.60 m ( 5 ft 2+ 3 ⁄4 in)
John Pattison (GBR )
Mount Benger
May 6, 1837 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Richard Armstrong (GBR )
Dalkeith
August 5, 1839 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Thomas Roper (GBR )
Newcastle
April 1, 1850 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Francis Temple (GBR )
Woolwich
September 21, 1850 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Hanmer Webb (GBR )
Cambridge
March 17, 1857 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Henry Powell (GBR )
Oxford
March 15, 1860 [ 3]
1.70 m ( 5 ft 6+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Robert Burton (GBR )
Harrow
March 27, 1860 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Henry Sampson (GBR )
Liverpool
June 13, 1863 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
T. Bailey (GBR )
Liverpool
June 13, 1863 [ 3]
1.675 m ( 5 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Francis Gooch (GBR )
Durham
September 2, 1863 [ 3]
1.70 m ( 5 ft 6+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Tom Mitchell (GBR )
Liverpool
July 9, 1864 [ 3]
1.725 m ( 5 ft 7+ 3 ⁄4 in)
John Roupell (GBR )
Cambridge
March 5, 1866 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
John Roupell (GBR )
London
March 23, 1866 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Thomas Little (GBR )
London
March 23, 1866 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
J.A. Harwood (GBR )
London
November 26, 1866 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Herbert Brooks (GBR )
London
November 26, 1866 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Thomas Little (GBR )
London
April 12, 1867 [ 3]
1.75 m ( 5 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Ronald Mitchell (GBR )
London
April 9, 1870 [ 3]
1.755 m (5 ft 9 in)
Ronald Mitchell (GBR )
London
April 3, 1871 [ 3]
1.785 m ( 5 ft 10+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Tom Davin (IRE )
Dublin
July 7, 1873 [ 3]
1.80 m ( 5 ft 10+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Marshall Brooks (GBR )
London
March 30, 1874 [ 3]
1.80 m ( 5 ft 10+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Michael Glazebrook (GBR )
London
March 22, 1875 [ 3]
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Marshall Brooks (GBR )
Oxford
March 17, 1876 [ 3]
1.89 m ( 6 ft 2+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Marshall Brooks (GBR )
London
April 7, 1876 [ 3]
1.90 m ( 6 ft 2+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Patrick Davin (IRE )
Carrick
July 5, 1880 [ 3]
1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
William Page (USA )
Stourbridge
August 15, 1887 [ 3]
1.93 m ( 6 ft 3+ 3 ⁄4 in)
William Page (USA )
Philadelphia
October 7, 1887 [ 3]
1.968 m ( 6 ft 5+ 1 ⁄4 in)[ a]
George Rowdon (GBR )
Haytor Camp
August 6, 1890 [ 3]
1.935 m (6 ft 4 in)
Michael Sweeney (USA )
New York City
October 8, 1892 [ 3]
1.945 m ( 6 ft 4+ 1 ⁄2 in)
James Ryan (IRE )
Tipperary
August 19, 1895 [ 3]
1.955 m ( 6 ft 4+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Michael Sweeney (USA )
New York City
August 28, 1895 [ 3]
1.955 m ( 6 ft 4+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Michael Sweeney (USA )
Bayonne
September 2, 1895 [ 3]
1.97 m ( 6 ft 5+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Michael Sweeney (USA )
New York City
September 21, 1895 [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
1.98 m ( 6 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
George Horine (USA )
Palo Alto
March 29, 1912 [ 3]
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[ b]
George Horine (USA )
United States
April/May 1912[ 6]
Post-IAAF
Mark
Athlete
Venue
Date
2.00 m ( 6 ft 6+ 1 ⁄2 in)
George Horine (USA )
Palo Alto, California
18 May 1912[ 1]
2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Edward Beeson (USA )
Berkeley, California
2 May 1914[ 7]
2.03 m ( 6 ft 7+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Harold Osborn (USA )
Urbana, Illinois
27 May 1924[ 8]
2.04 m ( 6 ft 8+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Walter Marty (USA )
Fresno, California
13 May 1933[ 1]
2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
Walter Marty (USA )
Palo Alto, California
28 April 1934[ 1]
2.07 m ( 6 ft 9+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Cornelius Johnson (USA )
New York
12 July 1936[ 1]
2.07 m ( 6 ft 9+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Dave Albritton (USA )
New York
12 July 1936[ 1]
2.09 m ( 6 ft 10+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Mel Walker (USA )
Malmö , Sweden
12 August 1937[ 1]
2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Lester Steers (USA )
Los Angeles
17 June 1941[ 1]
2.12 m ( 6 ft 11+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Walt Davis (USA )
Dayton, Ohio
27 June 1953[ 1]
2.15 m ( 7 ft 1 ⁄2 in)
Charles Dumas (USA )
Los Angeles
29 June 1956[ 1]
2.16 m (7 ft 1 in)
Yuriy Stepanov (URS )
Leningrad , Soviet Union
13 July 1957[ 1]
2.17 m ( 7 ft 1+ 1 ⁄4 in)
John Thomas (USA )
Philadelphia
30 April 1960[ 1]
2.17 m ( 7 ft 1+ 1 ⁄4 in)
John Thomas (USA )
Cambridge, Massachusetts
21 May 1960[ 1]
2.18 m ( 7 ft 1+ 3 ⁄4 in)
John Thomas (USA )
Bakersfield, California
24 June 1960[ 1]
2.22 m ( 7 ft 3+ 1 ⁄4 in)
John Thomas (USA )
Palo Alto, California
1 July 1960[ 1]
2.23 m ( 7 ft 3+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Moscow
18 June 1961[ 1]
2.24 m (7 ft 4 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Moscow
16 July 1961[ 1]
2.25 m ( 7 ft 4+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Sofia , Bulgaria
31 August 1961[ 1]
2.26 m ( 7 ft 4+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Palo Alto, California
22 July 1962[ 1]
2.27 m ( 7 ft 5+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Moscow
29 September 1962[ 1]
2.28 m ( 7 ft 5+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Valeriy Brumel (URS )
Moscow
21 July 1963[ 1]
2.29 m (7 ft 6 in)
Pat Matzdorf (USA )
Berkeley, California
3 July 1971[ 1]
2.30 m ( 7 ft 6+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Dwight Stones (USA )
Munich
11 July 1973[ 1]
2.31 m ( 7 ft 6+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Dwight Stones (USA )
Philadelphia
5 June 1976[ 1]
2.32 m ( 7 ft 7+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Dwight Stones (USA )
Philadelphia
4 August 1976[ 1]
2.33 m ( 7 ft 7+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Vladimir Yashchenko (URS )
Richmond, Virginia
2 June 1977[ 1]
2.34 m (7 ft 8 in)
Vladimir Yashchenko (URS )
Tbilisi , Soviet Union
16 June 1978[ 1]
2.35 m ( 7 ft 8+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Jacek Wszoła (POL )
Eberstadt , West Germany
25 May 1980[ 1]
2.35 m ( 7 ft 8+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Dietmar Mögenburg (FRG )
Rehlingen , West Germany
26 May 1980[ 1]
2.36 m ( 7 ft 8+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Gerd Wessig (GDR )
Moscow , Soviet Union
1 August 1980[ 1]
2.37 m ( 7 ft 9+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Zhu Jianhua (CHN )
Beijing , China
11 June 1983[ 1]
2.38 m ( 7 ft 9+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Zhu Jianhua (CHN )
Shanghai , China
22 September 1983[ 1]
2.39 m (7 ft 10 in)
Zhu Jianhua (CHN )
Eberstadt , West Germany
10 June 1984[ 1]
2.40 m ( 7 ft 10+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Rudolf Povarnitsyn (URS )
Donetsk , Soviet Union
11 August 1985[ 1]
2.41 m ( 7 ft 10+ 3 ⁄4 in)
Igor Paklin (URS )
Kobe , Japan
4 September 1985[ 1]
2.42 m ( 7 ft 11+ 1 ⁄4 in)
Patrik Sjöberg (SWE )
Stockholm , Sweden
30 June 1987[ 1]
2.42 m ( 7 ft 11+ 1 ⁄4 in) i
Carlo Thränhardt (FRG )
West Berlin
26 February 1988[ 9] : 160 [ c]
2.43 m ( 7 ft 11+ 1 ⁄2 in)
Javier Sotomayor (CUB )
Salamanca , Spain
8 September 1988[ 1]
2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Javier Sotomayor (CUB )
San Juan, Puerto Rico
29 July 1989[ 1]
2.45 m ( 8 ft 1 ⁄4 in)
Javier Sotomayor (CUB )
Salamanca , Spain
27 July 1993[ 1]
See also
Notes
^ Result sources list this mark as uncertain
^ Measured as 6 feet 6 and 1/8th inches, but World Athletics rules round down to the nearest quarter inch.
^ This indoor record was also accepted as a world record. However, in 1991 it was rescinded as a world record due to complaints that the flexible parquet flooring gave athletes an unfair advantage.
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF) . Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. 554– 55. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2016 .
^ Hymans, Richard; Matrahazi, Imre. "IAAF World Records Progression" (PDF) (2015 ed.). International Association of Athletics Federations . Retrieved October 20, 2015 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "Main > Men, High Jump > World Records Progression" . Track and Field Statistics [d ] .
^ Zarnowski, Frank (2005). All-around Men: Heroes of a Forgotten Sport . Scarecrow Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-8108-5423-9 . Retrieved 14 July 2023 . "American" winners included Canadian George Gray in the shot put and Irishman Michael Sweeney, who set a high jump world record at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m). In retrospect this meet was the premier track and field meet of the decade.
^ Zarnowski, Frank (2005). All-around Men: Heroes of a Forgotten Sport . Scarecrow Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-8108-5423-9 . Retrieved 14 July 2023 . An American all-star team ... demolished a national British team ... in New York in September by winning every event, several by enlisted Irish immigrants.
^ "George Horine" . Olympedia .
^ "WORLD'S HIGH JUMP MARK RAISED AGAIN - Edward Beeson of San Francisco Clears the Bar at 6 Feet 7 5/8 Inches" (PDF) . Retrieved 2016-08-21 .
^ "USATF - Hall of Fame" . Retrieved 2016-08-21 .
^ Hymans, Richard; Matrahazi, Imre. "IAAF World Records Progression" (PDF) (2015 ed.). International Association of Athletics Federations . Retrieved June 22, 2021 .
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