The Olympic Games introduced the women's triple jump in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics.
The men's triple jump had been part of the modern Olympic programme since the first Games in Athens in 1896. Women's jumping events developed later: the women's high jump and long jump appeared before the triple jump, which became the third Olympic jumping event for women when it debuted in Atlanta.
Ukraine's Inessa Kravets won the inaugural women's Olympic triple jump title with a distance of 15.33 metres. Her winning mark was also the Olympic record at the time. The event combines three phases—hop, step, and jump—before the athlete lands in the sand, making rhythm and control as important as raw power.
A common mix-up is confusing the 1996 debut with the event's world-championship history. The women's triple jump was contested internationally before Atlanta, but 1996 was its first appearance on the Olympic programme. The men's event also has an unusual Olympic footnote: a standing triple jump was contested in 1900 and 1904.