What is the name of the high jump technique popularized by Dick Fosbury?

The high jump technique popularized by Dick Fosbury is the Fosbury flop. In this distinctive method, the athlete approaches the bar on a curved path, takes off, rotates backward and clears the bar with the back facing downward before landing on the shoulders and back.

Fosbury developed the technique as a teenager in Oregon during the early 1960s. Traditional high jumpers commonly used the scissors, Western roll or straddle, but Fosbury found that turning backward suited his movement and body position. The spread of deep foam landing mats made this approach practical and much safer than landing on older sand or sawdust surfaces.

The technique gained worldwide attention when Fosbury won the gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and set an Olympic record. Its curved, J-shaped approach and arched body position helped athletes keep their center of mass low while crossing the bar. The flop soon replaced older techniques as the dominant style in elite high jumping.