Straddle technique

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The straddle technique was the dominant technique in the high jump before the development of the Fosbury flop, which is used by today's jumpers. There existed two variants of the straddle: the parallel straddle and a more diving version. With the parallel straddle head and trunk passed the bar at the same time; John Thomas (silver medal at the 1964 Olympics) was using this technique. Valeriy Brumel (gold in 1964) was diving a little bit, his head going over the bar before his trunk. John Thomas brought the world record from 2.16m to 2.22m in five steps, all in 1960. Brumel six times jumped a world record, ending with a height of 2.28m in 1963. This was improved by two straddlers, then flopper Dwight Stones brought the record up to 2.32. The last world record jump with the straddle technique was Vladimir Yashtshenko's 2.34 in 1978. That was improved in 1980 by a flopper and so the era of the straddle came to a close.

In the women's high jump the development was different. The extraordinary Iolanda Balaş was the dominant jumper from 1957 to 1967, but she used a variant of the scissors technique. Her final world record of 1.91m stood for ten years and was improved in 1971 by Ilona Gusenbauer, a straddle jumper. That record was equalled in 1972 by Ulrike Meyfarth using the flop, but the next series of records were set by jumpers using the straddle technique, ending with the first jump over 2.00m by Rosemarie Ackermann-Witchas in 1977. The year after Sara Simeoni jumped 2.01m using the flop.

The straddle jumpers had to land in a sand pit. Only when the safer foam mattresses came into use could the flop develop. There is some debate which of the two techniques has the most efficient clearing of the bar. Both have advantages and disadvantages and it seems that for some jumpers the straddle would be the best choice. The Fosbury flop is considered by many easier to learn, especially for kids, hence has become the dominant technique.