In what order are the three phases of the triple jump performed?

The three phases of the triple jump are performed in the order hop, step, jump.

After accelerating down the runway, the athlete takes off from one foot for the hop and lands on that same foot. The athlete then performs the step, landing on the opposite foot. Finally, the athlete jumps into the sandpit from that opposite foot. A valid attempt therefore follows the same-foot, opposite-foot, sand sequence.

The triple jump is sometimes called the hop, step and jump, which describes its phases directly. Competitors are measured from the take-off line to the nearest mark in the sand made by any part of the body. Stepping beyond the foul line invalidates the attempt. The event appeared in the ancient Olympic Games in forms that may have involved multiple jumps, while the modern version developed in nineteenth-century athletics. It is distinct from the long jump, which has only one takeoff and one flight into the pit.