Dick Fosbury popularized the Fosbury Flop by winning Olympic high jump gold in 1968.
The American jumper cleared 2.24 meters at the Mexico City Olympics. Instead of approaching the bar facing forward, Fosbury ran toward it on a curved path and went over backward, landing on his shoulders and upper back. This technique became known as the Fosbury Flop.
Earlier high jumpers commonly used the straddle or Western roll, which sent the body over the bar facing downward or sideways. Fosbury developed his backward technique as a teenager because it suited his movement and helped him clear the bar more effectively.
His victory did not mean every athlete immediately switched styles, but the method spread rapidly during the following decades. Advances in landing mats made it practical and safe. The Fosbury Flop eventually became the dominant technique in elite high jumping and remains standard today.