American high jumper who won the 1968 Olympic gold and pioneered the back-first jumping technique now used by virtually all elite jumpers.
Background
Born in Portland, Oregon, Fosbury attended Oregon State University, where he developed an unorthodox back-first high jump style that contrasted with the era’s straddle technique.
Career
At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics he won gold with an Olympic-record jump using the new technique. Within a decade nearly all elite high jumpers had adopted the “Fosbury Flop,” and the straddle was effectively retired from international competition.
Style of play
Fosbury approached the bar in a curved run-up and went over headfirst on his back, clearing the bar with the legs lifted last. The technique allows the body’s center of mass to pass below the bar.
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