What Olympic sport introduced the “Fosbury Flop” technique during the 1968 Games?

High jump is the answer. The Fosbury Flop is a track and field high jump technique made famous by Dick Fosbury at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where his backward-over-the-bar style, arched body position, and use of modern landing mats helped shift the event away from older jumping methods.

High Jump and the Fosbury Flop

The Fosbury Flop belongs to the Olympic high jump. Before it became dominant, many high jumpers used techniques that carried the body over the bar in a more forward or sideways position. The Fosbury Flop changed the event because it showed that going over the bar backward could be more effective with the right approach, takeoff, and landing setup.

Dick Fosbury at Mexico City

Dick Fosbury used the technique at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. His unusual style drew attention because it looked very different from the high jump methods many spectators and competitors were used to seeing. Fosbury won the Olympic gold medal in high jump in 1968, giving the technique immediate international recognition.

How the Technique Worked

The Fosbury Flop involves approaching the bar on a curved path, taking off from one foot, and rotating so the jumper clears the bar backward and head-first. The jumper arches the back over the bar, then lets the legs follow. This body position helps the athlete clear the bar efficiently while landing safely on the back.

How It Changed the Event

The technique became practical because modern foam landing mats made backward landings safer than they would have been on older landing surfaces. After Fosbury’s Olympic success, the style spread quickly through competitive high jumping. The Fosbury Flop became the dominant technique in modern high jump because it changed how athletes approached the bar, positioned their bodies, and used landing equipment to their advantage.