Until the Mexican Olympic Games in 1968, all high jumpers competed in the traditional “Western Roll” technique, in which they tried to cross the bar with their bodies facing the bar, parallel to each other… But that was about to change.
An unknown athlete approached the bar and set a new world record with a jump of 2.24 meters. After taking off, all he did was turn his back to the bar, not his face, unlike all athletes.
He pulled his feet up and bent his knees and jumped on his back over the bar.
The athlete’s name was Dick Fosbury. And from that day on, this jumping technique was named after him. This technique (Fosbury Flop) is still used in the high jump today.
Fosbury leapt to the highest level humankind had ever reached. Contrary to everyone else, thinking the opposite.
This is a simple thinking technique. But the thinking technique here turned into a jumping technique and marked a turning point in the history of the high jump.
Paul Arden – “Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite”
