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The high jump event is part of track and field. The participants attempts to jump over a horizontal bar placed up high. The winner is the athlete to successfully pass over the highest bar height without knocking the bar off its stand.

The athletes can begin jumping at any height which is announced by the judge, they can also pass to the next height. They then have three attempts to clear the height. If the height is cleared, they can then attempt the next height, where they will have three more attempts. Once the jumper has three consecutive misses, they are out of the competition and the highest height they successfully cleared is their result.

The participants cannot take off on both feet; they must take off on one foot. A failed jump is when the bar is dislodged by the action of the participant while jumping. The style or technique the participants use must be flawless so that they can have a chance of clearing a high bar.

Special high jump footwear is often used for this event; the shoes have thicker soles and extra grip at the heel to provide stability and support at take off.

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Other Track & Field Jump Events

• Pole Vault — an athletics event in which a competitor leaps over a bar using a flexible pole.
• Long Jump — a track and field event where the participant attempts to jump the longest into a sand pit.
• Triple jump — a track and field event where the participant attempts to hop, skip and jump the longest distance.

Related Pages

• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports