The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City were memorable for a number of reasons. The U.S. basketball team, lacking stars like Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, and Bob Lanier, won gold anyway. Bob Beamon set a shocking new record in the long jump, surpassing the old record by 1 foot, 9.75 inches. And of course, Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously gave the black power salute on the podium after finishing first and third in the 200-meters.
And then there was Dick Fosbury.
A high jumper, Fosbury struggled with the traditional techniques. Over time, he learned that he could jump higher if he went over the bar back first.
No one did that; in fact, he was thoroughly mocked for it.
Well, at first, anyway.
During the Olympics, though, people began to get it. Fosbury set a new Olympic record of 7 ft 4¼ in (2.24 meters).
In the 1972 Olympics, 28 of 40 competitors used the Fosbury Flop, and today, it’s almost the universal technique.
At least until someone else figures out something better.
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