Triple jump


The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit. The triple jump was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games and has been a modern Olympics event since the Games' inception in 1896.
According to IAAF rules, "the hop shall be made so that an athlete lands first on the same foot
as that from which he has taken off; in the step he shall land on the
other foot, from which, subsequently, the jump is performed."
The current male and female world record holders are Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain & N.I., with a jump of, and Inessa Kravets of Ukraine, with a jump of. Both records were set during 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg.

History

Historical sources on the ancient Olympic Games occasionally mention jumps of 15 meters or more. This led sports historians to conclude that these must have been a series of jumps, thus providing the basis for the triple jump. However, there is no evidence for the triple jump being included in the ancient Olympic Games, and it is possible
that the recorded extraordinary distances are due to artistic license of the authors of victory poems, rather than attempts to report accurate results.
The triple jump was a part of the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens, although at the time it consisted of two hops on the same foot and then a jump. In fact, the first modern Olympic champion, James Connolly, was a triple jumper. Early Olympics also included the standing triple jump, although this has since been removed from the Olympic program and is rarely performed in competition today. The women's triple jump was introduced into the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
In Irish mythology the geal-ruith, was an event contested in the ancient Irish Tailteann Games as early as 1829 BC.

Technique

Approach

The approach is one of the most important parts of an athlete's jump. The athlete sprints down a runway to a takeoff mark, from which the triple jump is measured. The takeoff mark is commonly a physical piece of wood or similar material embedded in the runway, or a rectangle painted on the runway surface. In modern championships a strip of plasticine, tape, or modeling clay is attached to the far edge of the board to record athletes overstepping or "scratching" the mark, defined by the trailing edge of the board. These boards are placed at different places on the run way depending on how far the athlete can jump. Typically the boards are set; 40 ft, 32 ft, and 24 ft. These are the most common boards you see at the high school and collegiate levels, but boards can be placed anywhere on the runway. There are three phases of the triple jump: the "hop" phase, the "bound" or "step" phase, and the "jump" phase. They all play an important role in the jump itself. These three phases are executed in one continuous sequence.The athlete has to maintain a good speed through each phase. They should also try to stay consistent to avoid fouls.

Hop

The hop begins with the athlete jumping from the take-off board on one leg, which for descriptive purposes, will be the right leg. Precise placement of the foot on the take-off is important in order for the athlete to avoid a foul. The objective of the first phase is to hop out, with athletes focusing all momentum forward. The hop landing phase is very active, involving a powerful backward "pawing" action of the right leg, with the right take-off foot landing heel first on the runway.

Step

The hop landing also marks the beginning of the step phase, where the athlete utilizes the backward momentum of the right leg to immediately execute a powerful jump forwards and upwards, the left leg assisting the take-off with a hip flexion thrust. Similar to a bounding motion. This leads to the step-phase mid-air position, with the right take off leg trailing flexed at the knee, and the left leg now leading flexed at the hip and knee. The jumper then holds this position for as long as possible, before extending the knee of the leading left leg and then immediately beginning of powerful backward motion of the whole left leg, again landing on the runway with a powerful backward pawing action. The takeoff leg should be fully extended with the drive leg thigh just below parallel to the ground. The takeoff leg stays extended behind the body with the heel held high. The drive leg extends with a flexed ankle and snaps downward for a quick transition into the jump phase. The athlete tries to take the farthest step they can while maintaining balance and control, using techniques such as pulling their leg up as high as possible.

Jump

The step landing forms the take-off of the final phase, where the athlete utilizes the backward force from the left leg to take off again. The jump phase is very similar to the long jump although most athletes have lost too much speed by this time to manage a full hitch kick, and mostly used is a hang or sail technique. This is the athletes last chance to make it into the sand pit. This phase is similar to a typical long jump.
When landing in the sand-filled pit, the jumper should aim to avoid sitting back on landing, or placing either hand behind the feet. The sand pit usually begins 13m from the take off board for male international competition, or 11m from the board for international female and club-level male competition. Each phase of the triple jump should get progressively higher, and there should be a regular rhythm to the three landings.

Foul

A "foul", also known as a "scratch," or missed jump, occurs when a jumper oversteps the takeoff mark, misses the pit entirely, does not use the correct foot sequence throughout the phases, or does not perform the attempt in the allotted amount of time. When a jumper "scratches," the seated official will raise a red flag and the jumper who was "on deck," or up next, prepares to jump.
It shall not be considered a foul if an athlete, while jumping, should touch or scrape the ground with his/her "sleeping leg". Also called a "scrape foul", "sleeping leg" touch violations were ruled as fouls prior to the mid-1980s. The IAAF changed the rules following outrage at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, when Russian field officials in the Men's Triple Jump ruled as foul 8 of the 12 jumps made by two leading competitors thus helping two Russian jumpers win the Gold and Silver medals.

Records

Outdoor

Note: Results cannot count towards records if they are Wind assisted.

All-time top 25 triple jumpers

;Key:

Men (Absolute)

RankMarkWind AthleteDateLocationRef
11.37 August 1995Gothenburg
20.227 August 2015Beijing
30.429 June 2019Long Beach
4−0.427 July 1996Atlanta
50.028 May 2015Havana
60.318 August 2013Moscow
71.516 June 1985Indianapolis
81.631 August 1987Rome
81.920 May 1995Odessa
100.420 May 2007Belém
101.020 June 1990Bratislava
12 0.015 October 1975Mexico City
131.727 June 1987San Jose
141.32 September 1985Kobe
150.08 August 1997Athens
16-----
16indoor1 March 1997Sindelfingen
16indoor7 March 2004Budapest
181.05 July 2005Lausanne
180.129 July 2009Barcelona
201.07 June 1986Leningrad
200.615 June 1986Havana
200.817 July 2004Havana
231.018 July 1987Bryansk
23indoor6 February 1994Grenoble
23indoor2 February 2020Paris

Women (Absolute)

RankMarkWind AthleteDateLocationRef
10.910 August 1995Gothenburg
2indoor21 February 2020Madrid
30.517 August 2008Beijing
4indoor6 March 2004Budapest
50.921 August 2004Athens
60.018 July 2014Monaco
70.311 July 2003Rome
80.931 August 2007Osaka
91.74 September 2010Split
100.04 August 1997Athens
10−0.324 September 2000Sydney
120.310 August 1995Gothenburg
130.14 August 1997Athens
130.72 August 2004Linz
13indoor28 February 1998Valencia
161.926 July 2009Cheboksary
170.529 August 1993Stuttgart
17−0.531 May 1997Valencia
19indoor13 February 2008Peania
20−0.622 August 1999Sevilla
211.730 May 2015Eugene
221.926 June 2004Rome
22indoor11 March 1995Barcelona
240.99 August 2006Gothenburg
251.24 July 2004Iraklio

Olympic medalists

Men

Women

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

Season's bests

Men

Women