The straddle technique was the dominant style in the High Jump before the development of the Fosbury Flop. One version is called the western roll.
Unlike the scissors jump where the jumpers face forwards when jumping or the flop where they face upwards, in the straddle they face down as they roll over the bar.
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) used this technique. Valeriy Brumel (gold in 1964) dove a little bit, his head going over the bar before his trunk.
The last world record jump with the straddle technique was Vladimir Yashtshenko's 2.34 metres (7 ft 8.1 in) in 1978. (The best result was 2.35 metres (7 ft 8.5 in) obtained in Milan at the 1978 European Athletics Indoor Championships). That was improved upon in 1980 by a flopper, Jacek Wszola of Poland.
All of the subsequent record holders have used the Fosbury Flop, which Dick Fosbury used in his 7'4" win in Mexico City in 1968.
There is some debate over which of the two techniques is more efficient in clearing of the bar. Although both have advantages and disadvantages, the Fosbury flop is considered by many easier to learn, especially for younger jumpers, and thus has become the dominant technique.
In 1993, an American high jumper Steve Harkins brought back the Straddle style in the Master's [over-40] division to break the Master's World Record and then went on to beat a 'flopper' at the World Championships in Miyazaki Japan. Harkins used the 'head down first' style as did Brumel. At 6'71⁄4" at the U.S. National Championships in Bozeman, Montana; in March 1993, Harkins will be remembered as the highest jumper ever in the Master's to have used the straddle style.
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