The Fosbury Flop
Let’s go back to 1968.
The Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City are underway. The first time the Games are hosted in Latin America.
Up and until this point, the sport of high jump was quite different than it is today. Jumpers approached, facing forwards, and flapped over the bar in a goofy, scissor-like manner.
But that changed on 20 October, when the 80,000 strong crowd of the Estadio Olímpico Universitario met Dick Fosbury, an unknown 21-year-old student from Oregon, USA.
Fosbury showcased a unique and counterintuitive technique of gliding over the bar in a curved backward motion.
At first, the capacity crowd laughed at Fosbury’s awkward new style, but as he triumphantly sailed over the bar with each attempt, the laughs turned into thunderous cheers. The crowd became so engrossed with the performance that they barely noticed the first marathon runner charging into the stadium.
Fosbury went on to win the gold medal and set an Olympic Record of 2.24m.
Although he never competed in the Olympics again, his method became known as the “Fosbury Flop” and forever changed the sport of high jump.
My key takeaway from Fosbury’s story is this: