THE LEAP OF THE CENTURY.
It was Bob Beamon’s only participation in an Olympic event, but he left his mark forever.
He took Gold in Mexico and a World record that would stay for 23 years.
The American still holds the record over half a century later. This is the impact that Bob Beamon, the American long jump record holder who gave his name to the team, had on the sporting stage.
Orphaned before he turned one year old, Beamon was raised by his grandmother in a poor neighbourhood of South Jamaica in New York City. As a student at Jamaica High School, however, he received guidance and discipline from track coach Larry Ellis, Beamon a gifted athlete who was also a skilled Basketball player, eventually received an athletic scholarship at the University of Texas at El Pasu.
Beamon’s breathtaking long jump was one of the unforgettable moments of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. This 22-year-old long-legged athlete from Queens, New York was able to fly
29 feet 2.5 inches
(8.9mts). Surprising the world record by an amazing 21.65 inches. No one before had even cleared 28 feet.
Beamon’s performance is still considered one of the most significant sporting moments in the history of track and field. His long jump stood as the world record for 23 years, another American Mike Powell, jumped two inches farther at the 1991 track and field World Championships in Tokyo, which still stands as the record.
THE PERFECT JUMP – A LEAP INTO THE 21st CENTURY.
In sporting history, certain moments stand out as extraordinary. One such indelible moment unfolded at the 1968 summer Olympics in Mexico City, where 22-year-old prodigy from New York, Bob Beamon, made sports greatest leap.
Inside the Olympic stadium on the afternoon of 18th October 1968, a track steward summoned Bob Beamon of the USA to take his first attempt in the Men’s long jump final. Just days prior Beamon overstepped his first two jumps, but he qualified by placing himself in the third position for the finals.
As Beamon stood his mark his singular thought was “I will not be denied” he says.
With 19 strides down the runway, he hit the board perfectly, ascended into the air like a bird, and finally planted his feet in the sand six seconds later. Beamon had landed so far beyond the distance measurable by the optical rail, that the officials had to take a measuring tape to manually measure the jump.
“I was truly relaxed and felt like I could float over water; Beamon recalls of the moment” Beamon had leaped where no one had landed before, an incredible 8.90mts or 29 ft 2 1/2 inches, smashing the world record the latter of which still stands.
When Beamon landed in the pit, he had no idea how far he had jumped or that he had just shattered the world record.
When teammate Ralph Boston informed him that the jump was more than 29 feet. Beamon collapsed on the ground. He was overcome with such powerful emotions that he fought nausea as well as tears. Beamon who minutes before had jumped farther than he, or anyone, ever imagined he could, had to be helped to his feet by teammates.
Mel Watman, a long-time co-editor of ‘Athletics International’ and a veteran of eight summer Olympic games witnessed Beamon’s historic leap and reported on it later for the
‘British publications Athletics Weekly’
With one jump Beamon transferred all ideas of what is humanly possible, in all others.
Beamon’s long jumping was the most incredible of so many startling performances, but he gave his supporters a worrying time in the qualifying round by fouling twice before advancing 8.19mts. Lyon Davies (Great Britain) also caused missed heartbeats for he too had two no jumps before qualifying in third place with 7.94mts.
Beamon didn’t just set a record he shattered one.
Records are supposed to be broken by inches, not by demolition. He snapped the existing record by almost 2 feet.
Soviet jumper Igor- Igor-Terovanesyen said, “Compared to this jump we are children”.
Lyan Davies told Beamon ‘You have destroyed this event’.
On his record jump Beamon said “he got terrific speed on his approach, stretched out his last step to the board and got his feet together when he landed, when he came to the earth his momentum propelled him forward out of the pit. I eased up on my last step before I hit the board. My mind was blank during the jump. After so much jumping, jumping becomes automatic. I was surprised as anybody at the distance. Beamon never again came close to matching his record jump.
When he was at the podium receiving his gold medal, Beamon remembers thinking ‘Where do I go from here’. Fear of void seized him’.
He faded from the sport.
Beamon is enshrined in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame at the Olympic Hall of Fame.
