Bob Beamon's World Record Long Jump - 1968 Olympics

[kingshane908]

Bob beamon is a beast. As a fellow long jumper I understand how far 29 feet is and how hard it is to get there

[kozmon0t]

Only 2 years till Mike Powell's got him beat.

[ronpaulforpresident6]

@kozmon0t You mean 20 years

[kozmon0t]

@ronpaulforpresident6 Powell broke the record in 1991, so Beamon's record stood 23 years. Powell will pass that 23 year mark in 2014.

There is a long tradition of the ljwr lasting about 20 years, so soon some dork nobody ever heard of is gonna jump 9 meters.

[Trihawk7]

Redbull?

[DoctorScrumpy]

The world record holder was a Russian lad not Boston.

[bossofalltime]

@DoctorScrumpy Ralph Boston (USA) & Igor Ter-Ovanesyan (Soviet) were joint record holders at the time of this (8.35m)

[MetalCvrsProductions]

he would be a beast if he trained parkour :b

[misstyfi]

26 years ago my P.E teacher told us about Bob Beamon's long jump record but having no internet in those days I could not see it. This is the first time I've ever saw the jump and it was amazing.

[6anatolyy4]

what 2 short-sighted clowns dislikes this?! Leg-end. Job done.

[BillBobJebediah]

he be blazin'

[zzippyman1]

Such an outstanding feat, I doubt we'll see another quite as incredible. Awesome is an overused word, but it's appropriate here.

[ky93le]

his cadence in his last 6-8 strides looks as if he slowed down. mighty jump nonetheless

[MrDeltaMaster]

@ky93le look at his last two steps....extremely fast which is one of the most if not THE most important part about the jump you can be blazing fat down the runway and have a bad penultimate step and it will hurt the jump tremendously.

[4bonjovilife]

omg! this was the day my mom was born!!

[ojoj201]

wow !!!

[lucasboden]

This is what track athletes used to look like before drugs.

[BaubleRob]

Does anyone know how many inches he lost on this by letting his bottom hit the sand? Surely half a foot, at least.

[ProEvoKenevo]

He had a catalytic seizure brought on by the sheer emotional energy in his body. We are truly amazing creatures.

[sinusbradycardia]

This has 2 stand as one of the most spectacular moments in Olympics or in all of sport. 2 break the existing record by so much. I think this stands above Nadia Comaneci's scoring the 1st perfect 10 in the uneven parallel. As a hardcore boxing fan, I even think it tops Wilfredo Benitez winning the WBA Jr Welterweight title at age 17, from a 30 year Antonio Cervantes, who had made 10 successful defenses of his title. Benitez's high school classmates were attendance. Unlikely ever 2 b broken.

[antsman88]

haha! the jump was beyond the limit of the measuring equipment! thats brilliant!

[BANDIIDO]

UN DÍA COMO HOY 18 DE OCTUBRE

1968: en los Juegos Olímpicos de México, Bob Beamon establece un nuevo récord mundial de 8,90 m en el salto de longitud. Se convertirá en el récord más duradero del atletismo con 23 años de duración, y considerado por el Sports Illustrated como uno de los cinco mejores momentos del deporte del siglo XX.

[MrClarkkentclone]

I'm a big track fan, and this is a much prettier jump to watch than Powell's World Record... Beamon was slower than Powell, but got more vertical lift, which was frowned upon years later by Powell and Lewis, who turned their jumping into a science, purposely not going as high, to get more "out" trajectory... But fut me the incredible height reached by Beamon was classic... looked more like flying...

[fairalways]

@MrClarkkentclone Agreed. It's too bad there's no measurement for the "biggest" jump. I'm sure the total square footage of the area beneath Beamon during this jump blows away any jump recorded before or since. If you stop the tape at about :24 you can see how breathtakingly HIGH this jump was at its apex, and then how beautifully he pulled his legs up into his body as he knifed forward, getting as much air, altitude, speed, and stretch as one can imagine him possibly getting.

[MrClarkkentclone]

@fairalways Glad someone else can see how incredible this jump was because of the height... It has been said that at his apex, Beamon would have cleared a 6 foot high jump bar... amazing to think about...

[Boassful]

FANTASTIC JUMP!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD

[SayQueso17]

Amazing, I've never understood why I am so awe struck at watching people jump and run. Track really should not be a spectator sport (would you watch football if they had no ball?) but it is amazing.

Track fans, don't get pissed at this comment, because I'm a fan myself... it is just that I do not fully understand why.

[DBZparodier]

Thousands of people compete in millions of jumps for decades. tall, short, fast, and slow alike. The hardest workers and most talented succeed and compete some more with the adrenaline rush of stadiums. From the best of the best long jumpers on the planet, world records are set and broken as the limits of mankind are pushed.

Then Beamon shows up and says, "What gravity?"

[FLFCH]

Amazing - he seemed so relaxed and took off so nonchalant. He did not even seem to try as hard as he could. Pure talent. If he were around today with the equipment to train that is available today he would have surpassed 9.5 m I think

[MrDani5357]

neanche dli 8 giudici credevano alla misura del più grande salto della storia

[Chukojc94]

That leg shoot was just disgusting.

[hunkyzombie]

what amazes me is his acceleration... from standing to nearly full speed in a fraction of a second.

[wiwrd11]

inspiration!

[MargaritasAntesPorco]

steroid free!!! he rocks!

[MrWushuu]

what is a sick jump and what a shit celebration

[edscottable]

not just far but look at how high..... amazing

[berryhill88]

2:23, look how frigging high he's jumping! Damn.

[michimichimichimichi]

just so sick

[maan1511]

LOL look at those officials sitting right next to where he landed.. They never realized what just happened right in front of their eyes!!

[PhillyDippy5]

He was the best actually, bacause he did it in 1968, Car Lewis or Mike Powell in 1968 wouldn't be that great.

[Sheerravenbliss]

Did anyone else thinking he looked really hot on the podium?

[jonesbettyboop]

my father was there with thengland hockey team i actually have a sinny film he took of the jump amazing

[vitoduval]

To this day no other Olympian has jumped 29 feet.

[INTIMEFILMPRODUCTION]

GREAT! jump.

[susspuss]

yeah... put Beamon and Lewis side by side and tell me who's luckier in terms of world record... Lewis has FOUR olympic golds, a shitload of jumps over 8.70, even 8.80, even unmeasured 9+m, but still never got the WR... and put Pedroso also on the line... you just can't deny the thing "luck" besides athlete's capabilities...

[susspuss]

the luckiest jump of all times... max legal wind, altitude, raincloud coming closer and Bob's jumping skills alltogether...

[PowerSprinter]

@susspuss Luck is what losers attribute success to. Everybody has these scenarios, the other jumpers around that same time had the same conditions, its all about capitalizing, because everyone gets these opprotunities.

[susspuss]

@PowerSprinter wtf are you talking about... in event like this luck is very much in its place... have you ever competed in two different environments, such as warm and sunny and in the other hand cold and soaking wet?

i can tell you on my own experiece, in LJ the results can vary not less than 50cm... in javelin bloody 5 metres... of course you can put it on bad execution (mostly it is really true), but i have never heard anybody do their PB's in rain...

[PowerSprinter]

@susspuss Right, you obiously dont get what i am saying. Yes it was a perfect set up, but everybody gets those perfect meets, its about taking advantage of them. So "Luck" should not be creditted one fucking bit for this amazing feat.

[rcaddict72]

@susspuss totally agree. sometimes everythig just comes together. he had the conditions, and nailed his best jump. if it was at low alt and without wind, it'd have been 8.50-8.70..still a PB and WR, but it wouldnt have been 8.90. Lewis and Powell would've been going 9.20..

[fairalways]

@rcaddict72 What a silly statement. "If" statements are the stuff of fantasy, yet you take this real event and act as if this is the fantasy. Lewis and Powell may have changed their style for distance, but neither has any tape of them at any time jumping so big. Meaning area beneath them covered. I'd like to hear what they have to say.

[fairalways]

@susspuss Yes, but your statement misses the enormity of the moment. This wasn't a man jumping for fame and endorsements; there wasn't "the weight of America" on his shoulders. He was oblivious. Barely any in the movie were even watching him. Heck, he looked as relaxed at the beginning of this jump as if there were nobody in the stadium and he was just testing out his technique. This record wasn't just outsized; it so obliterated what came before that Beamon's life was rocked after the event.

[palmettoparrots]

You still have to say WOW to this jump when you know what the record was up until this moment and knowing that Beamon never came anywhere close to this again.

[TheMrLandon]

Arguably the most extraordinary moment in the history of the Olympics. He never passed 27 feet again, much less 28 or 29. He picked the right moment to put it all together in a matter of seconds. It is still the Olympic record.

[scorzi]

LIKE A BOSS.

[nonamechannel]

He ran like a cheetah, jumped like a horse, flew like a bird, landed like a cat, jumped out of the pit like a kangaroo, bounced around like a penguin and when the record came, he fell to ground like a human! First time ever seeing the video. Amazing!

[mjcamck]

@nonamechannel - Well said! As long ago as this was, I remember it well (I'm almost 60) and it was an Olympic moment none who witnessed it will ever forget. Best Wishes to you.

[zzippyman1]

@nonamechannel Brilliant comment, one of the best I've seen on here.

[sixfootcorpse]

@nonamechannel

You are gay.

[greiglad118]

when he's doin' his funny wee run back everyone's like " WTF? its like he's just broken a bloody record!!"

[superkennethcheung]

when i first saw the video description, i thought he broke his legs because i wasn't looking carefully

[Movielunatic]

I saw this record jump on television in 1968!

[WCGwkf]

@Movielunatic awesome!

[lanpetpet7]

Oh shit...i dont believe that was year 1968. Look at the video quality...

[700gsteak]

@lanpetpet7 Yea film is awesome. People think that because we have bluray old movies can't look good on it but film is pro grade while bluray is still consumer grade. Consumer grade still has a long way to catch up with film because the movie studios love milking us.

[SammyG2014]

I love his run/dance back hahaa

[TheIncredibleKrunk]

this is not the single greatest individual athletic achievement in history

[kubapista]

nice colour on 1968!

[MrSkyman457]

FUCKIN HELL!

[bmxrider12ful]

thats amazing! 

[6anatolyy4]

That's a real sportsman right there. You can see what that jump meant to him.

[manbearpig6288]

one dislike seriously

[89len]

@manbearpig6288 it was the guy who finished second

[dahoss65]

@MRAPPORTGt5 You best pursue a different career. lol

[ralucagymnast]

What a wonderful, moving piece of film; sometimes, humans are awesome:) This made me cry;)

[cabbagegun]

the height oh man

[shadow1985ism]

1 person cant do math

[lilwayne2597]

so how far did he jump

[robersj4]

@lilwayne2597 did you not watch the video?

[lilwayne2597]

@robersj4 yea but i dont know how far it was

[robersj4]

@lilwayne2597 it says in the video. 29 feet, 2 and a half inches, or 9.8 meters

[Authenticcaribbean93]

super fag run out of the pit.

[XASt4ticLu1labyX]

@Theprofessorpat 8.03 foot high jump is greater

[KevYuuuu]

hahahahhaah he jumped farther than the measuring equipment.

Imagine the mindsets of like the measuring people, they're just like.. holy.. what the fuck...?

[adriansprints]

@KevYuuuu what a sick man. You don't really know what you're talking. the guys were using the optical measuring device - the most accurate measurement at the time (but the length was very limited) rather than the plastic tape. It's like saying "why don't send sms since it's much faster rather than a letter" in 1960's!!

[KevYuuuu]

@adriansprints Buddy. Take a joke. Move on.

No need to get so technical about it..

[CheyTac2]

75,000th like! WOOT!!

[bangbangboogybaby]

that looks like it hurts wen you land

[Dsermersheim2711]

i love his little run back so much

[demonoR]

that jump is insane, I think that Beamon could jump more than 9m these days..

[susspuss]

yeah i also think, it's wrong to put it all on altitude... he leapt beyond imagination... it happens to jumpers all the time... that one particular jump works out 100%... even Lewis and Pedroso have jumped well over 9m, but with foul... well this is just bad luck... Beamon was lucky in all possible ways...

[dtboy1]

It didn't count as a WR because of the altitude

[Bondsmanuk01]

Beamon never went over 8.20mts again in his career. Still, a good time to produce the "leap out of the pit".

[pite9]

I can't believe how high he jumps. Imagine how long he would jump if he had been scholed with modern jumping technique.

[susspuss]

@pite9 doesn't matter much... Emmiyan also hanged 8.86...

[68Olympix]

@jannelund78 Thanx 4 getting back to me! - I've since discovered a simple way to record YouTube videos into my computer for our '68 team media project.

[iTzGeronimoxX]

1:42

[lowgrau]

greatest thing that ever happened

[LMA629]

"it was beyond the limit of the measuring equipment." that's awesome lol. it was those long ass legs of his!!!

[MRRRKOOLLL]

I think technically Carl Lewis was the greatest Long Jumper of all-time. His PB of 8.87m is the 3rd longest jump ever. Nonetheless, Bob Beamon's jump was epic for it's decade, in the 1960's!

[imhotcause]

just :0!

[Gynecologist]

I didn't know they had such strong steroids back then!

[11glendavis]

moonwalker....WRONG on both fronts, as mentioned others didn't even get PR's and as for the wind the was precious little and if you bothered to check it actually was a HEAD wind, if it had been as you seem to say it would never have been allowed to be a record.

[bigpoppapumps09]

usain bolt!!!! fastest man on earth

[McFlash92]

On October 18 at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Beamon set a world record for the long jump with a jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2½ in.). The record stood for 23 years until Mike Powell broke it in 1991. When the announcer called out the distance for the jump, Beamon — unfamiliar with metric measurements

[Theb0x]

@McFlash92 Well, we don't use metric measurements except in scientific studies. That guy jumped for a living doubt he ever had to familiarize himself with the metric system. If someone asked you how far 29 feet was could you eyeball it?

[nilloc666]

The white guy came in second place.

Stick it to the man.

[Godlike23able]

Damn stop flying!

[omarwantschips]

that was'nt fair he didnt jump he flew!

[snizshizzle]

Fun fact. Beamon refused to have sex before competitions because he believed it would derive him of energy and hurt his performance the next day. The night before this jump, he broke that rule.

[ricochetrob]

@snizshizzle

Very interesting!

Because I read in a recent study that sex DOES help athletes within days of a competition.

He must have gained a few 'sex' inches in that jump. LOL

Beamon is great! Great athlete, and AWESOME moment; one of the best.

[moonwalker5800]

great jump but theirs more to dis story, it was done at very high alitude, a lot of sprinting records were broke that day, less air means faster speed down the run way a less resistance while in the air, he also had a very strong tail wind, he jumped over 29 feet that day and before that it was 27 feet so ye do the math

[805Bruin]

@moonwalker5800 The silver medalist didn't even jump 27 feet. If it was all about the altitude than everyone would be jumping far. Do that math.

[nezpercenathan]

@moonwalker5800 Not only did the others not even jump 27 ft., but later some physics experts figured out what might have been gained by the altitude- it was less than 4/10ths of 1%, or about 1 1/2" that he would have gained.

[nilloc666]

@moonwalker5800

fag. no1 wants to know your nerdy ass sports shit

[ThgDarkchild]

@moonwalker5800 kid the tale wind was legal so it couldnt have been that strong bc like you said less air...beamon had a great great jump...end of story.

[2Baker40]

@moonwalker5800 The men's 100, 110 hurdles, 200, 400, long jump, triple jump, javelin and discus ALL had maximum allowed wind speed recorded. The women's 80 hurdles, 100, 200, 400, long jump and discus ALL had maximum allowed wind recorded. All records and all by great athletes still odd not a single wind aided event in the entire 68 games.

[badabauf]

@moonwalker5800

Just to say that the attidude is a lame answer. Today all sportphysicans believe that this man just made "the perfect" jump. Everything fitted together: Speed, Power and training level. Many world records were broken on this day. And the tail wind would not give him any advantage, because, as you said, there is less air... Anyway. It's just amazing that this WR was not bet for 25yrs.

Thumbs up

[LUCASTHEGOD]

@moonwalker5800 If he would have that high tail wind as you described just there the jump would be counted as a not viable one because of wind

[applecookie8]

@moonwalker5800 a high altitude would make it even harder to run and breath. sprints are anaerobic,  using the ATP-Pcr energy system for events like the 100m meaning the air shouldn't have even effected his sprint but rather the recovery.

[moonwalker5800]

@applecookie8 thats a load of crap, the thinner the air the less resistance, for cardio events they will be affected for the worse, but over short events that say use little cardio it is advantage, like 100m, long jump, javelin, hammer throw etc- world recorlds are broken at high altitude all the time

[TheZetz]

@moonwalker5800 Altitude really only helps in events like speed skating.... in track and field it would mean a worse performance due to the decreased amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Your lungs' function is much more significant than a bit of reduced resistance.

[CheyTac2]

@TheZetz Mexico City is relatively low, yes? Lower=more oxygen

[TheZetz]

@CheyTac2 Yes it is. That's not the point I was making though :P moonwalker5800 seems to think he jumped at a high altitude and the decreased wind resistance from thinner air is what got him the distance. But even if that was possible it wouldn't be true, of course, because Mexico City isn't very high.

[CheyTac2]

@TheZetz Haha. I mean Im sure each aspect helps a little minuscule bit. But reguardless, it was a huge jump.

[ZSH2K10]

@moonwalker5800 You jealous fucker.

[BonakiD24]

@moonwalker5800 Make sure before you comment DO YOUR MATH!

[moonwalker5800]

@BonakiD24 how come bob never jumped even close to this distance ever again idiot, u do the math how many records were broke in mexico that day, heres the math for you idiot "thinner air means less resistance" thinner air means faster speed on the runway, and their was a wind gusts that day, and no electronic wind measurements, and since the start of the century the world record incresed a inch to 3 inch at a time beamon broke it by 22 inch, now go to wikipedia on Bob and read it urself idiot

[qwerty12345asdfg123]

@moonwalker5800 YOU do the math. Thinner air has nothing to do with it. So here the math for you: GRAVITY. Gravity is lower at high altitude and closer to the equator. So for now, you may be the idiot.

[barseeable]

@moonwalker5800 Your flipin' adorable big guy<3 ill put your name as a subtopic on Bob's unsecured wikipedia article.

[MissSwishaSweet]

@moonwalker5800 Whats your best junp?

[decadoc]

@moonwalker5800 Legal wind, right at 2.0mps. This is the greatest single effort athletic feat of all time.



[WCGwkf]

@moonwalker5800 i bet you couldn't even do the math. even though what you are saying is bullshit.

[rcaddict72]

@moonwalker5800 i agree with you. the dude who cited second place as a counter argument is conveniently missing the fact that many athletes have off days also. fact is that a bunch of guys had PBs in this event, and virtually every other explosive event at mexico. altitude, wind, and, dare i say it for fear of being shouted down by the ignorant..drugs were a staple for athletes in the early 60s through to the late 1970s..often beig published together with the training program.

[Gynecologist]

I didn't realize they had Steroids back then!

[Eddieshack67]

one of the most dominating performances in sports history.

[Viperxify]

he looks gay when he runs after the jump

[fizicalbeatz1]

i love it :D

[fizicalbeatz1]

@fizicalbeatz1 beamonesque :D

[gigettu]

the sports make me cryin all times!

[Anders2989]

Unbelivable,I remember oh yes

[Smasher5257]

I remember his incredible leap in Mexico City. It truly shocked the sports world. Beamon, the jump, the measurement, the thin air, his form....you name it...it was all painstakingly scrutinized at the time, and for years after. The measurement was accurate.

[jesusthroughmary]

Has anyone ever considered that they simply didn't measure this correctly? It's been 40 years and it's only been bested once, by two inches, in a sport where most world records of 1968 have probably been beaten by 10-20%. It just seems impossible that he jumped that far. Outside of this one, preposterous effort, his career best was 27'4" (less than an inch, mind you, off of the world record), and he never again broke 27 feet after Mexico City.

[nanderson1965]

@jesusthroughmary Did you not watch the video with the cameras and the entire world watching?

[gillesowns]

@jesusthroughmary 1968 was the first year they used eletronic measurements(i think) in the olympic games so it should be right

[SFNightTripper]

@jesusthroughmary Shut up moron, yes they measured it correctly.

[CJThaSavage]

pause at 0:25 sick. I've never seen anyone in the long jump get that high in the air and get that amazing distance.

[TheProfessorpat]

The single greatest individual athletic achievement in history.

[obese21193]

@TheProfessorpat think usain bolt would have something to say about that...

[TheHoneyb91]

@TheProfessorpat besides kerri strug and derek redmond

[Cinerary]

@TheProfessorpat

Sorry, but Secretariat's 1973 Belmont is actually the single greatest individual athletic achievement in history by man or beast, and it always will be.

[genericRUSHfan]

XD He looks like such a pansy while he jogs around after.

[Skates2much]

quality is incredible!!

[mrgerbeck]

WOW...  .. WOW!

[151bmw]

what a leap..what an althlete

[1968Olympix]

Awesome movie!  Im a 68 Olympian collecting photos and movies from all my teammates to assemble on to DVDs for everyone, and we would be absolutely thrilled to have permission from you to include a copy of your movie in our 68 Olympic Team Photoshare Project DVDs! Please click reply to my comment here if this would be POSSIBLE or NOT possible, THANK YOU!

[drj350]

Simply put - WOW!