There is video here (on Youtube) of Debbie at age 13, in 1966, using the "Brill Bend" at Brockton Oval in Vancouver. Debbie has been jumping since she was a kid...and has *always* used that same style. Fosbury converted to that style - after Debbie invented it.
Debbie Brill was probably the most consistant high jumper ever, althought she never won an Olympic medal .. she spent her entire career ranked in the top 8 jumpers in the world form 1969 to 1985 except 76 when she was 10th, she did retire after 1972, and didn't compete in 73 & 74, and 81 when she had her first child.Although wikipedia has her jumping for years after 86 she was having her other children then, and wasn't competing.
@yescanto Debbie was the Commonwealth Champion in 1970 & 1982, took the silver in1978, was Pan Am Champion in 1971, took the bronze in 1979, She also won the high jump at World Cup in 1979.. was the top ranked high jumper in the world in 1980, unfortunately the heavily boycotted Moscow games, cost Debbie a real shot at that Olympic medal.
From SI article, Feb, 1971: "... for Debbie has become a traveled young lady who has jumped higher than all but five women; only she goes over the bar backward in the Brill Bend, as her coach, Lionel Pugh, so aptly named it. The Brill Bend is not to be confused with the Fosbury Flop. "I was quite shocked when I saw Fosbury jump the first time," she says. "I thought I was the only one doing it."
She did not change the world of high jumping Dick Fosbury was jumping like this when she was nine years old and he was a freaking senior in high school in 1965. She was the first WOMAN to jump like this and get recognized for it. But she was not the game changer and inventor of this technique.
@amandaberesford that still makes Dick the first to use it and Ms Debbie the first FEMALE not the game changer that is portrayed in this posting.....even if she did it before the Olympics it wasn't on the world stage and STILL not before Dick did it in his senior year of high school. I'm not taking anything away from her just putting it in its proper perspective....
Luv you Debbie... we need more of the great canadian women track stars of the past on utube... I remember when she won the world cup in 1979 at the olympic stadium...more Debbie and Dianne Jones and Abby Hoffmann please...
There is video here (on Youtube) of Debbie at age 13, in 1966, using the "Brill Bend" at Brockton Oval in Vancouver. Debbie has been jumping since she was a kid...and has *always* used that same style. Fosbury converted to that style - after Debbie invented it.
MsDokter123 1 month ago
00:40
Hairyarmpitlover1 8 months ago
Debbie Brill was probably the most consistant high jumper ever, althought she never won an Olympic medal .. she spent her entire career ranked in the top 8 jumpers in the world form 1969 to 1985 except 76 when she was 10th, she did retire after 1972, and didn't compete in 73 & 74, and 81 when she had her first child.Although wikipedia has her jumping for years after 86 she was having her other children then, and wasn't competing.
yescanto 1 year ago 6
@yescanto Debbie was the Commonwealth Champion in 1970 & 1982, took the silver in1978, was Pan Am Champion in 1971, took the bronze in 1979, She also won the high jump at World Cup in 1979.. was the top ranked high jumper in the world in 1980, unfortunately the heavily boycotted Moscow games, cost Debbie a real shot at that Olympic medal.
shottut 2 months ago
Even Dick Fosbury has acknowledged that Brill developed this style of jumping independently of his own.
amandaberesford 1 year ago
From SI article, Feb, 1971: "... for Debbie has become a traveled young lady who has jumped higher than all but five women; only she goes over the bar backward in the Brill Bend, as her coach, Lionel Pugh, so aptly named it. The Brill Bend is not to be confused with the Fosbury Flop. "I was quite shocked when I saw Fosbury jump the first time," she says. "I thought I was the only one doing it."
amandaberesford 1 year ago
She did not change the world of high jumping Dick Fosbury was jumping like this when she was nine years old and he was a freaking senior in high school in 1965. She was the first WOMAN to jump like this and get recognized for it. But she was not the game changer and inventor of this technique.
fadarrell 1 year ago
@fadarrell
She was 12 in 1965 not 9 and there is film footage of Brill using her jumping style as early as 1966, two years before the Mexico City Olympics.
amandaberesford 1 year ago
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@amandaberesford that still makes Dick the first to use it and Ms Debbie the first FEMALE not the game changer that is portrayed in this posting.....even if she did it before the Olympics it wasn't on the world stage and STILL not before Dick did it in his senior year of high school. I'm not taking anything away from her just putting it in its proper perspective....
fadarrell 1 year ago
Luv you Debbie... we need more of the great canadian women track stars of the past on utube... I remember when she won the world cup in 1979 at the olympic stadium...more Debbie and Dianne Jones and Abby Hoffmann please...
karrtt1234 2 years ago