Nov 05, 2015 bob beamon s world record long jump 1968 olympics duration. The story behind bob beamons long jump olympic record olympics on the record duration. He broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm 21 2. Bob beamon 72 still holds the olympic longjump record. Bob beamon track and field athlete and his legedary jump at. Back on that eerie october afternoon in 1968 when bob beamon set the greatest track and field record of all time, the air above mexico city was charged by massing, rumbling thunderheads. Olympic legend bob beamon would like to see america make a. Robert beamon born august 29, 1946 is an american former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the mexico city. Bob beamons olympic longjump record still stands nearly. Bob beamon was the embodiment of athleticism as he stood motionless at the end of the runway, meditating on his opening jump in the olympic final. When the announcer called out the distance for the jump, beamon unfamiliar with metric measurements still did not realize what he had done. Bob beamons world record long jump 1968 olympics youtube. Those were just a few of the ways that bob beamon s astounding 8.
How bob beamon destroyed the long jump world record and how i. At just 22 years old, bob beamon landed a jump of 292 12 destroying the existing world and olympic record by 1. Showing perfect technique in ideal conditions, he not only became the first man to break the 28foot barrier but also the 29foot mark. The long jump in mexico featured an outstanding field. It was a record beamon would keep for almost 23 years, until mike powell hit 294. Olympic gold medalist and record breaking track and field star bob beamon was born on august 29, 1946, in jamaica, new york. As of 2020, the jump is still the olympic record and the second.
Coming into the olympics, the world record was 27 feet, 4a. It was mutation, a skipped link in the expected chain of progression. The new record surpassed the existing mark by an astounding 55 cm 21. The narrow favourite, though, was another newcomer the american bob beamon, from new. While other events in 1968 have faded into the pages of history books, bob beamons record still stands 50 years later, more than a half a century. It is been called the greatest achievement in athletics history at the mexico olympics in 1968 bob beamon of the usa shattered the worlds long jump record with a leap of 29 feet and two and a. Record breaking olympian, bob beamon, honored by city of new. When the announcer called out the distance for the jump, beamon unfamiliar with metric measurements. In 1967, he won the indoor aau long jump championship as well as the silver medal at the pan american games outdoor long jump championships.
Bob beamon olympic athletics united states of america. Throughout the week, guinness world records is going to be sharing and celebrating historic records from some of the worlds most incredible. Bob was a new york state record holder and junior olympian. On 18 october 1968 bob beamon set off down the longjump runway at the olympic stadium in mexico city and soared. Current record holder in the mexico city summer olympic games. Bob beamon 72 at the 1968 olympics in mexico city, beamon stunned the world when he jumped 29 feet and 2. Bob beamons world record long jump 1968 olympics video. Bob beamons phone number, email, address, public records. Triple jump men u20 world championships 2016 duration.
Most of my friends from the early years are no longer with. Usas bob beamon breaks the world record in the long jump by nearly two feet during the 1968 mexico city olympic games. Tall, lean, handsome and donned in the american team colours of black and white. In the 1968 olympic games in mexico city, american track and field athlete bob beamon earned a gold medal by shattering the existing world record for the long jump by nearly 22 inches 55 centimeters. Nobody had ever taken flight like bob beamon before 1968. Bob beamon got plenty of air under him on his amazing leap of 292. Bob beamons historic mexico city long jump almost didnt. One of the greatest moments in olympic games history sees bob beamons era defying leap win long jump gold at mexico city 1968.
This record, although aided by the high altitude of mexico city, was one of the longest standing in history, lasting another 23 years. Bob beamon track and field athlete and his legedary jump. Bob beamon, american long jumper, who set a world record of 8. Oct 03, 2015 during the 1968 mexico city games, bob beamon broke the long jump record by two feet. Coming into the olympics, the world record was 27 feet, 4. Months before his famous jump, bob beamon got kicked off. Bob beamon, born august 29, 1946, bronx, new york, u. Bob beamons first leap at the 1968 mexico city games inspired a new word.
Bob beamon was orphaned before his first birthday and running with a rough queens, n. Oct 09, 2015 new york bob beamon holds the longeststanding olympic track and field record, and it looks likely to survive rio 2016 and cross the 50year mark. How bob beamon destroyed the long jump world record and. Beamonesque means an athletic feat so superior to what has come before, it. Beamon brought the historic moment to life for a crowd gathered at harvard law school in september, where he joined a panel to discuss his work as a special olympics global ambassador. Fortyfour years on, the grainy mental image endures.
Yet bob beamon struggled to qualify for the final, with two. Bob beamons world record long jump 1968 olympics duration. Usas bob beamon breaks the world record in the long jump by nearly two feet. The young africanamerican jumper bob beamon born and raised in queens is the favorite for the gold medal thanks to a personal record of 8. Beamon made one giant leap for mankind at the summer olympics in 1968, shattering the world record in the long jump, pushing the envelope of what was considered humanly possible with such. Bob beamon ruled at summer olympics in mexico city beamon entered the 1968 summer olympics in mexico city as the favorite, having won 22 of the 23 meets he had competed in that year, including a career best of 8. All three medallists from the 1964 games had returned, along with strong challengers from east germany, australia and the soviet union. Those were just a few of the ways that bob beamons astounding 8.
Oct 22, 2018 american bob beamon makes his record shattering long jump at 1968 olympics 29 ft. Beamon, who had set the world indoor record 27 feet, 1 inch in january, decided to jump, much to the delight of the crowd. Photo courtesy getty images as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the seminal moment of the mexico city games, when americans john carlos and tommie smith raised a blackgloved fist from the medals podium, globalsport matters looks back at the year from a global sporting perspective. Bob beamons great leap forward as great sporting blimey. Oct 04, 2019 in 1968, bob beamon leapt into the olympic history books with a long jump that shattered the existing record by nearly two feet. This feat, while no longer the world record, remains the olympic record to this day and has been named one of the five greatest sports moments of the 20th century. In contrast, the longest jump of the next ten years was 8. Robert bob beamons world record breaking leap in mexico city was one of the most extraordinary sporting feats in olympic history. Robert beamon born august 29, 1946 is an american former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the mexico city olympics in 1968. Records are meant to be broken, sure, but few, if any, have shattered an alltime mark the way bob beamon did in the 1968 olympic games a setting a world long jump standard by nearly two feet in. He won the 1965 national high school triple jump and high jump awards. His first round effort that day shattered the previous world record by a staggering 55 centimetres as it smashed through both the imperial 28 and 29foot barriers when he finally broke the sand 29 feet 2.
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