The high jump is a track and field jumping event in which an athlete attempts to clear a horizontal crossbar without knocking it down. The athlete runs towards the bar, performs a one foot take off, rises over the crossbar and lands on a padded landing area. The objective is to clear the greatest height while remaining within the rules.
Competitors normally receive multiple attempts at progressively higher heights, and an athlete is eliminated after accumulating the permitted number of consecutive failures according to the applicable competition rules. Unlike the long jump, which measures horizontal distance, the high jump primarily measures vertical displacement. The event combines approach speed, take off power, body control, flexibility, spatial awareness and highly specialised technique.
A modern high jump setup consists of two upright standards supporting a lightweight crossbar, with a large landing mat positioned behind the bar. The approach area allows the athlete to build controlled speed before take off. The jumper normally approaches along a curved path and plants the take off foot at a carefully selected location relative to the bar.
The crossbar is designed to fall if significantly displaced, allowing the athlete to attempt clearance without being attached to a rigid obstacle. The landing mat is essential because modern high jump technique places the athlete's body well above the surface. The runway, standards, bar and landing area must be arranged according to the applicable technical specifications for competition.
The most influential modern high jump technique is the Fosbury Flop, in which the athlete approaches on a curved path, takes off from one foot and rotates so that the back passes over the bar first. The athlete arches the body over the bar and then drops onto the back on the landing mat. Before the widespread adoption of this technique, other methods such as the scissors, western roll and straddle were used.
The Fosbury Flop became dominant because it permits efficient body positioning during clearance and allows the athlete's centre of mass to follow an effective trajectory. Despite the apparent backward landing, the technique is highly controlled and depends on precise timing between the approach, take off, rotation and bar clearance.
The approach is crucial because vertical jumping ability alone does not determine high jump performance. Athletes need sufficient horizontal speed to generate useful take off energy, but excessive speed can make accurate foot placement and body control difficult. The curved approach contributes to the rotational forces required for the clearance technique. During take off, the athlete converts part of the horizontal motion into upward motion through a powerful interaction with the ground.
The take off leg, hips and trunk coordinate to create vertical velocity while the arms and free leg contribute to lift and rotation. Small differences in approach rhythm or take off position can determine whether the athlete rises in an optimal position or contacts the bar.
High jump competitions normally proceed through a sequence of increasing bar heights. Before competition, the starting height and subsequent increments are established under the relevant rules. Athletes can choose to pass a height without attempting it, but they must manage the risk of accumulating failures. A clearance is successful if the athlete passes over the bar without causing it to fall and without committing a disqualifying fault.
The number of failures and the order in which performances are recorded can matter when competitors finish on the same height. Tie breaking procedures depend on the competition rules. The event therefore combines physical ability with tactical decisions about when to jump and when to pass.
The biomechanics of high jumping involve the relationship between centre of mass, body position and bar height. An athlete does not need to raise the centre of mass as high above the bar as the top of the head because the body can be curved around the bar. During a successful Fosbury Flop clearance, the athlete's back and limbs are arranged so that different parts of the body pass the bar at different moments. This allows the centre of mass to follow an efficient path. Take off angle, vertical velocity, approach speed, body rotation and flexibility all contribute. The event therefore illustrates how technique can improve performance without requiring a proportional increase in raw muscular power.
High jump training normally combines technical repetitions with sprinting, jumping exercises, strength development and mobility work. Athletes practise the approach separately so that the correct rhythm and take off position become consistent. Plyometric exercises can develop explosive force, while strength training can improve the ability to apply force rapidly. Coaches may use video analysis to examine foot placement, take off mechanics, body rotation and bar clearance. However, high jump training also involves considerable impact, so recovery and workload management matter. A jumper may perform relatively few full maximal attempts while spending more time practising components of the movement, because repeated maximal jumps place significant stress on the lower limbs and require high levels of concentration.
The high jump differs fundamentally from the pole vault because no external implement is used to assist the athlete's take off. It also differs from the long jump because the measured objective is height rather than horizontal distance. Its distinctive combination of a raised obstacle, one foot take off, curved approach and padded landing has made it one of the most recognisable field events. Successful performance depends on the interaction of speed, strength, elastic energy, coordination, technique and spatial awareness. The history of the event demonstrates how changes in technique can transform performance, with the Fosbury Flop becoming the dominant modern method. Understanding high jump therefore requires both the visible objective of clearing the bar and the underlying biomechanics that make efficient clearance possible.
