His Olympic journey continued with a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, gold at the 1993 World Championships and bronze at the 1995 World Championships.

He exhibited outstanding prowess by clinching 10 NCAA long jump and triple jump titles, both indoor and outdoor. Remarkably, his collegiate outdoor long jump record of 28 feet 8.25 inches (8.7440 metres) still stands strong. Yes, that’s true! This was the OG version of today's long jump. Fast forward to the present, and it's become one of the most captivating sports to catch on TV.

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His iconic moment arrived at the 1968 Olympics. Beamon's historic jump not only stunned the world but also led to the creation of the term "Beamonesque" to describe such extraordinary feats. Let’s delve deeper into the stories of the 8 greatest long jumpers of all-time - and explore the remarkable achievements that make them legends in the world of long jumping. 1. Mike Powell Now, here's a fun fact for you: the long jump we know and love today has been dazzling audiences at the Olympics since the very first Games in 1896. And when it comes to world records in the men's event, US jumpers have been the ones to watch. In July 2009, he expressed his intention to return to competition with the goal of breaking records in the Masters over 45 category.

Her achievements include two Olympic gold medals and one silver in the long jump, making her a dominant force in the field. This incredible achievement earned him the James E. Sullivan Award and BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year in 1991. Powell’s educational journey took him to the University of California, Irvine, and later UCLA, where he also became a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Notably, her jump of 7.63 metres, albeit wind-assisted, in 1992 at Sestriere still stands as the furthest distance ever achieved by a woman in the long jump.She secured two World Championships in the long jump in 1983 and 1993, and she triumphed in both the long jump and the 200-metre sprint at the World Indoor Championships in 1987. His long jump world record of 8.90 metres, which shattered the world record by an astonishing 55 centimetres, remained unbroken for over two decades, making it one of the most enduring records in the history of the sport. His journey began with an ambitious goal: matching Jesse Owens' four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. As one of the fastest sprinters in history, he was a tough one to match! In recognition of her contributions, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in March 2023, solidifying her status as a legendary figure in the world of sports and philanthropy. 8. Heike Dreschler He proudly won gold at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin and repeated the feat in Daegu in 2011.

Did you know that long jumping has its roots in Ancient Greece, where athletes carried weights in each hand, swung them forward on take-off, and released them mid-jump to increase momentum?

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Drechsler's extraordinary performances have set an exceptionally high standard for future generations of long jumpers, solidifying her legacy as one of the greatest in the discipline. Do You Agree with Our Top Long Jumpers in History? All of these exceptional athletes have achieved historic victories that earn them a lasting place in the sport's history books - and these icons serve as a profound source of inspiration to millions of people around the world. She not only equalled Marita Koch's 200-metre sprint world record of 21.71 seconds but she also set two long jump world records; for one, she secured her place in history with a remarkable leap of 7.48 metres.