How it works
Competitors sprint along a runway and jump as far as possible into a sandpit from a wooden ‘take-off’ board. The distance travelled – from the ‘foul line’ edge of the board to the ‘mark’ in the sand made closest to it – is then measured.
A foul is committed – and the jump is not measured – if an athlete steps beyond the board.
Most championship competitions involve six jumps per competitor, although a number of them, those with the shorter marks, are often eliminated after three jumps.
If competitors are tied, the athlete with the second-longest distance is declared the winner.
History
The long jump's origins can be traced to the Ancient Olympics of Greece. Then athletes carried weights called halteres in each hand. These were swung forward on take-off and released mid-jump to increase momentum.
The long jump as we know it has been part of the Olympics since 1896. The men’s event is best known for the long-standing world records of Jesse Owens (set in 1935 and broken in 1960) and Bob Beamon who cleared 8.90m in 1968. The latter mark stood until Mike Powell beat it at the 1991 World Championships.
Did you know
A man called Chionis is recorded as having jumped 7.05m at the Olympics in 656BC. That’s only one metre short of what is currently regarded as world class.
Gold standard
The USA, due in part to its sprinting excellence, has dominated the men’s event, supplying all but four Olympic title-holders since 1896.
Meanwhile, Russia’s women have been the world’s best in recent times, scoring a 1-2-3 at the 2007 World Championships.
Icons
Carl Lewis
This American superstar scooped four successive Olympic gold medals (1984-1996) and two world championships. The indoors world record he set in 1984 still stands.
Heike Drechsler
The German won two Olympic, two world and four European titles during a career that lasted almost two decades. She also set two world records.