What is the long jump?

The long jump is a track and field event that requires competitors to sprint along a runway until they reach a take-off board. From here, they jump as far as possible into a sandpit. The distance travelled, from the edge of the board to the closest indentation in the sand, is then measured and the winner is the athlete who jumps the farthest.

• The history of the long jump can be traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece, when athletes carried weights in each hand. These were swung forward on take-off and released in the middle of the jump in a bid to increase momentum
• The men’s long jump has been part of the Olympics since the first Games in 1896
• The women’s long jump has been part of the Olympics since 1948
• The long jump requires athletes to have strength, speed, flexibility and agility

Long jump world records

To be successful, long jump athletes must display an incredible blend of speed, explosive power, strength and agility.

Women’s long jump world records

The first women’s long jump world record was set by Czechoslovakia’s Marie Mejzlikova, who jumped 5.16m (16ft 11in) in 1922. A year later, Mejzlikova went on to break her own record with a jump of 5.30m (17ft 4 1⁄2in).

The current women’s long jump record has stood for more than 30 years. In 1988, Galina Chistyakova jumped 7.52m (24ft 8in) in Leningrad. This shows how much athletes have improved over the years, with Chistyakova’s record being more than 2 metres farther than Mejzlikova’s. The athlete to have got closest to the record over the past almost 40 years is Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who jumped 7.49m twice in 1994.