Bob Beamon's World Record Long Jump - 1968 Olympics

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  • čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
  • USA's Bob Beamon breaks the world record in the long jump by nearly two feet during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.

Komentáře • 2,1K

  • @WarnerKrause
    @WarnerKrause Před 10 lety +3248

    Out of curiosity, I got out a tape measure and measured out 29 feet. Until you see that distance in person, you don't realize how absolutely ridiculous it is.

    • @aspenrebel
      @aspenrebel Před 9 lety +98

      RespectMyHate Most people couldn't throw a 12 lb (i.e. High School weight) shot put that far (29 feet)!!!!!

    • @SuperJajaco
      @SuperJajaco Před 7 lety +170

      aspenrebel.... I tried. And it landed on my foot

    • @43vert
      @43vert Před 6 lety +19

      Yeah, I did the same, would just stare in amazement at the great distance !

    • @simonedwards8888
      @simonedwards8888 Před 6 lety +4

      Bo Knows then you get haters pointing down, clowns!!!!!!!

    • @andrewbriscoe2481
      @andrewbriscoe2481 Před 6 lety +6

      Jan Jacobsen I couldn't lift it off the ground.

  • @geraldinemccluskey6231
    @geraldinemccluskey6231 Před 6 lety +1522

    Another fun fact: the detailed analysis of this jump has also revealed that at his highest point, BB was 5ft 2in off the ground! A height most mortals could not high jump!

    • @noeltaylor3594
      @noeltaylor3594 Před 4 lety +68

      Yeah. It's like he just floated out there.

    • @olivia-sv3wq
      @olivia-sv3wq Před 4 lety +45

      that's my height oh my god

    • @markwoldin162
      @markwoldin162 Před 4 lety +17

      But they seem to be very different disciplines. I don't think anyone has ever succeeded in both. One is horizontal jump and the other is a sudden conversion of horizontal energy to Vertical energy so maybe the muscle group is different

    • @someguy2135
      @someguy2135 Před 4 lety +34

      @@markwoldin162 Running speed is much more of a factor in the long jump.

    • @markwoldin162
      @markwoldin162 Před 4 lety +13

      @@someguy2135 right. I absolutely get that. That's why Jesse Owens won the long jump, that's why Carl Lewis won the long jump. But the action in the high jump where horizontal energy has to explode vertically must be very very different because we just don't see one person trying to practice the two disciplines

  • @rjam1974
    @rjam1974 Před 6 lety +640

    Still looking at this video I get teary-eyed more so by watching Mr. Beamon be so overwhelmed

    • @therealthreadkilla
      @therealthreadkilla Před 5 lety +8

      agreed.......what a spectacular achievement.......I long jumped in high school......held the record of 21'7" for a couple years but had actually jumped over 23' and was denied do to the situation of the pit......too low or some such shit.

    • @michaelclayton3114
      @michaelclayton3114 Před 5 lety +10

      And no drugs .

    • @jkokich
      @jkokich Před 4 lety +1

      It was beautiful, wasn’t it?

    • @hman2912
      @hman2912 Před 4 lety +1

      Me too.

    • @angelbeatzbell4057
      @angelbeatzbell4057 Před 4 lety +2

      He literally goes into shock haha

  • @colinjennings3661
    @colinjennings3661 Před 4 lety +123

    I think this is still the greatest achievement in any sport of all time. Nearly two feet over the previous record!

    • @kylerpointerify
      @kylerpointerify Před 4 měsíci

      A human jumps far. Almost as meaningless as swimming fast.

    • @mbrower3304
      @mbrower3304 Před 3 měsíci +1

      Mexico City is at a high elevation. That fact led to virtually no wind resistance. That helped Beamon that day.

    • @nealorr5086
      @nealorr5086 Před 10 dny

      @@mbrower3304 It was actually considered a wind aided jump:
      It was, at least in part, powered by a perfect storm -- the thin air of Mexico City's helpful 2240m altitude and a maximum 2.0 metre per second allowable wind -- by a man who that season was clearly the finest long jumper on the planet.
      If peak Lewis was at the same event, we may never have even heard of Beamon.

  • @Lava1964
    @Lava1964 Před 9 lety +1106

    Nearly half a century after it happened, this is still the greatest single feat ever achieved in sports (in my opinion).

    • @spencerberg8809
      @spencerberg8809 Před 9 lety +19

      You know it's been broken right? Still amazing though.

    • @Lava1964
      @Lava1964 Před 9 lety +54

      Spencer Berg Yes. It was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell.

    • @aspenrebel
      @aspenrebel Před 9 lety +25

      Lava1964 Humm? The Greatest Single Feat Ever Achieved In Sports??? Hummm??? I always liked the guy who falls off the end of the Ski Jump ramp in the opening of "Wide World of Sports" hee hee hee!! Well, you have that Cuban guy Sotomayor HJ 8' 1/4". Bubka Pole Vaulting over 20 feet. That British guy Triple Jumping over 60 feet. Usain Bolt's 100 WR. 9.58 is it? I dunno, I might have to go with the USA Men's Hockey Team winning the Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics, and beating the Soviets en route. That was pretty great!!! Actually, I just thought of one. It is a "hidden" feat. Who was it now? Was it Bob Hines? Was that his name? I think he ran the last leg of a 4 x 100 M Relay in some unreal fast time, that would have shattered the 100 M WR, at the time. But alas, it didn't count, couldn't be measured accurately.

    • @Lava1964
      @Lava1964 Před 9 lety +110

      +aspenrebel I'll stick by my assertion. Nothing tops this jump. Considering that the word record for the long jump had only advanced about eight inches in the previous 32 years, Beamon's jump--which added nearly 22 inches to the record--is even more extraordinary. It's been called the first "21st-century sports performance." As an aside, I've never seen a reaction like Beamon's: collapsing in tears, his body going completely limp like that of a rag doll. It will take something absolutely extraordinary for me to change my mind about this moment in history. (One other point: Beamon had had a very disappointing season on the athletics circuit prior to the 1968 Olympics. Ralph Boston was considered to be by far a better jumper than Beamon going into the Games.)

    • @Lava1964
      @Lava1964 Před 9 lety +31

      aspenrebel You obviously know your stuff. It's nice to have a pleasant and intelligent comment with a stranger on CZcams. I'm familiar with all those moments you mentioned. I'm old enough to have either witnessed them live on television (Comaneci and Secretariat) or I've seen them on retrospective shows. The big difference between Beamon's feat and Comaneci's feat is that Beamon's feat is 100% measurable while Comaneci's feat of "perfection" in a judged sport is entirely subjective.

  • @Argyll9846
    @Argyll9846 Před 8 lety +385

    I watched this live on TV in the UK in 1968 and was totally blown away by this jump - everybody watching knew it was BIG! 48 years later and it still blows me away when I see it again. For me, Beamon and Fosbury were hero's of these games.

    • @peteraddison8323
      @peteraddison8323 Před 8 lety +11

      great times you witnessed!!! drugs virtually un heard off.
      i liked watching these clips 1968 my birth date

    • @thebest382
      @thebest382 Před 8 lety +11

      Yes, you are right. Beamon and Fosbury were hero's in history of Atletics. Im high jumper, and Im jumping Fosburi technique!! Its so beautiful and amazing.

    • @christopherlee3143
      @christopherlee3143 Před 8 lety +10

      I almost cried watching him collapsed at the news that he broke the world record.. You can see the people had a hard time measuring the unprecedented distance. Amazing.

    • @atiboyful
      @atiboyful Před 8 lety +8

      Good to see you included Fosbury's Flop as well. That was JUST as huge!

    • @Argyll9846
      @Argyll9846 Před 8 lety +3

      It sure was - I could not believe what I was seeing, which was something new and unique though today it's quite commonplace, but not back then.

  • @Not_Brick
    @Not_Brick Před 5 lety +770

    Here before Jon Bois releases The Bob Emergency Part 2.

  • @davidmcc8727
    @davidmcc8727 Před 2 lety +74

    I saw this as it happened in 1968. One of the greatest moments ever in athletics

  • @nightmareshadow13
    @nightmareshadow13 Před 8 lety +141

    I got to meet him in London when I went for the Olympics, really nice and cool guy. He gave us a tutorial on how he practiced jumping and then we got to try our own long jump, it was a lot of fun. Also really inspiring story, came form a broken home and turned himself into an Olympic medalist. That was a good summer, fun times!

    • @jkokich
      @jkokich Před 4 lety +3

      luke sutherlin that’s so cool!

    • @sagacioussage899
      @sagacioussage899 Před 4 lety +5

      Thanks for sharing, that is beautiful to know he is a kind and giving person . His life matters.

    • @triciajohansen7124
      @triciajohansen7124 Před 3 lety +2

      I am jealous!!!!!😎

  • @lekunberriko1
    @lekunberriko1 Před 7 lety +78

    I watched at TV (black and white) that historic jump. In Spain was approx. 10h pm. I was 13 and now I am 61 and I recall my astonishment at the time.

    • @knarf_on_a_bike
      @knarf_on_a_bike Před 3 lety +1

      I was 12 at the time, and watched in black and white in Montreal, Canada. With my father. It's a moment that will live with me always.

  • @christophermejia3582
    @christophermejia3582 Před 10 lety +106

    that walk after made this so perfect

    • @valentinotera3244
      @valentinotera3244 Před 5 lety +3

      @mksrookies for real buddy

    • @drj5412
      @drj5412 Před 4 lety +8

      The walk is actually better than the jump itself. Is this guy relaxed or what?

    • @mikekinsella2822
      @mikekinsella2822 Před 2 lety

      If you jump 29 feet 2 inches you can walk anyway you want

  • @Top10Archive
    @Top10Archive Před 8 lety +584

    Goosebumps...

    • @dwildhockey24b
      @dwildhockey24b Před 8 lety +6

      Viewer beware...

    • @tommypetraglia4688
      @tommypetraglia4688 Před 6 lety +8

      Wet eyes...

    • @stuartwayne4978
      @stuartwayne4978 Před 6 lety +3

      Top 10 Archive ....it's amazing how much illegal performance enhancing steroids will add to a long jump. After drug testing got stricter american athletes got busted, like Marion Jones, Flo Jo and others. The Americans dominated sprinting until drug testing slowed them down and Jamaica took over with clean athletes.

    • @redbaron2418
      @redbaron2418 Před 6 lety +3

      lol Jamaica clean athletes

    • @GamingVlogsbulo2101
      @GamingVlogsbulo2101 Před 5 lety +2

      Top 10 Archive why don’t u have the verification badge?

  • @roo7227
    @roo7227 Před 12 lety +83

    A beautiful thing.. I remember my 5th grade P.E teacher marking it off and showing all of us how far Beamon jumped.. I'm 40, now, and I still remember that.. Truly awe-inspiring..

    • @KAF128
      @KAF128 Před 3 lety

      At Under 11, I won the South Northamptonshire Schools LJ when I knew I had nailed it in the first round; looking at it, my winning margin was nearly as much as BB's but my jump was only 12' 7" or so !

    • @richardgasquet9848
      @richardgasquet9848 Před 3 lety +4

      no, you are 48

    • @nickhanlon9331
      @nickhanlon9331 Před 3 lety

      Yes. Our PE teacher did the same thing.

    • @LillyAugusta
      @LillyAugusta Před 3 lety +2

      @@richardgasquet9848 I am 48 now haha, cool name btw, are you good in tennis? :) Cheers!

  • @_Jay_Singh
    @_Jay_Singh Před rokem +21

    He still has the Olympic record to this day.

  • @Icepacalapse
    @Icepacalapse Před 11 lety +95

    Nobody else at the same meet came within 2 feet of Beamon's jump.
    They all compteted in the same conditions.

    • @andrehof7876
      @andrehof7876 Před 3 lety +1

      nowadays they do not come close...

    • @lukepearson5697
      @lukepearson5697 Před 3 lety +6

      Not even he did. Was a complete freak event

    • @andrehof7876
      @andrehof7876 Před 3 lety +1

      in decades to come, nobody nowhere cam close..the ultra doped carl lewis came close and the other large dude from the same era that a few times did 8,90..and broke the record..but nowadays again, you will win international events with 8,30-840...most jumps do not come close..
      it is still ridiculous...maybe some insiders of this sport can tell us about it...if I jump to the max a thousand times during a year; how many times do I come close to my best.. I mean what were Bob's other top10 jumps...?

    • @bradgross6138
      @bradgross6138 Před 3 lety +7

      @@lukepearson5697 Beamons second best jump ever was in the 27s. you are correct

  • @mahtivaari72
    @mahtivaari72 Před 10 lety +82

    This is one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. This is still after 46 years 2nd longest jump ever.

    • @SharkyArthur
      @SharkyArthur Před 10 lety

      ***** That's why he said 2nd.

    • @MrMa1981
      @MrMa1981 Před 6 lety +3

      I think the greatest ever. The perfect jump, never repeat after and never done before. Not even close.

    • @user-hu5qg1ki3q
      @user-hu5qg1ki3q Před 6 lety +3

      After 50 years

    • @ZlatanEdits
      @ZlatanEdits Před 9 měsíci

      E
      What is 1st

    • @runnerfig
      @runnerfig Před 26 dny

      @@ZlatanEdits Mike Powell jumped 8.95 meters at the World Championships in Osaka in 1991.

  • @manjay49
    @manjay49 Před 9 lety +209

    The percentage of improvement is what was astonishing. Almost *2 feet* longer than the previous record. That rate of improvement is what puts Beamon's leap into a different category. Similarly, Michael Johnson lowered the 200 meters record of 19.72 set in 1979 by .06 to 19.32 in June of 1996. That was an 11 year gap to lower it only .06. But *5 weeks later*, in August 1996 he lowered his own record by .34. Meaning he removed a total of .40 in only *5 weeks*. The previous rate of improvement in the 200 meters, if averaged out, was @ .01 per 365 days. Johnson lowered it .40 in only 35 DAYS. Surely

    • @Madmun357
      @Madmun357 Před 6 lety +23

      Wikipedia says since 1901 the record had been broken 11 times by an average of about 2 inches, the longest was a 6 inch improvement. Then Beamon came along and broke it by almost 22 inches.

    • @johnnypenso9574
      @johnnypenso9574 Před 5 lety +14

      Johnson's record is likely steroid enhanced. I don't think that was an issue for Bob Beamon. He just had the most perfect launch in long jump history.

    • @jjmanzano9
      @jjmanzano9 Před 5 lety +8

      That’s what I find most amazing. He increased the WR by almost 10%! Usually athletes come out and shave fractions of a percent off the records. Beamon obliterated it!

    • @mustafaafzal4749
      @mustafaafzal4749 Před 5 lety +3

      Man Jay I know this comment was made 3 years ago but I can’t help myself. I’m pretty sure 19.72 subtracted by .06 is 19.66, not 19.32.

    • @andrehof7876
      @andrehof7876 Před 5 lety +1

      @@johnnypenso9574 yes, in the thin mexican air aswell...funny enough the triplejump record is done in Sweden..

  • @FelipeGualberto
    @FelipeGualberto Před 8 lety +82

    What an inspiring humble and talented hard working man.

  • @sngwrter49
    @sngwrter49 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I had an opportunity to meet Bob Beamon about 20 years ago. I heard he would be at a "meet and greet" and I told my then GF I was going. She didn't recognize the name and I told her to look him up, he is "Olympic history". He was very cordial and even though he was paid to be there he seemed genuine and enjoyed being recognized for his amazing historic achievement. He autographed a frisbee for me that identified the corporation he was representing, I still have it. There will be only one "Bob Beamon" in our lifetime.

  • @robertjensen1048
    @robertjensen1048 Před 4 lety +13

    Been watching T&F for over 50 years. This is clearly the single most amazing individual achievement I've seen in a single event.
    Keep in mind, that when world records are broken, they are almost always broken by tiny increments. Heights and distances are typical broken by quarter and half-inches. Times are usually broken by tenths or hundredths of seconds.
    For someone to come in and break the previous world record by over 21 inches....is simply not possible.
    What Beamon did in this jump was, by 1968 standards, physically impossible. It was magic.

    • @johnhunter2294
      @johnhunter2294 Před 3 lety +2

      The only thing I can think of that even remotely compares is Secretariat's run in the 1973 Belmont. He ran 2:24 flat and broke the world record for a mile and a half on dirt by 2 3/5 seconds. 48 years later, no horse anywhere has gone faster than 2:25.4.

    • @robertjensen1048
      @robertjensen1048 Před 3 lety +1

      @@johnhunter2294 It's a great comparison from a statistical basis.Secretariat was clearly an incredible specimen. But that was a horse, not a human.

    • @johnhunter2294
      @johnhunter2294 Před 3 lety +1

      @@robertjensen1048 It was the only performance I could think of that was as transcendent as Beamon's was. His jump is still the second-longest ever and still about a foot ahead of the longest jumpers performing today.

  • @BaconFrisbee
    @BaconFrisbee Před 11 lety +37

    One of the best moments in sports, period.

  • @swalterstennis
    @swalterstennis Před 5 lety +38

    Bob Beamon’s jump was the Greatest Achievement in Track and Field History.

    • @toddtrimble2555
      @toddtrimble2555 Před 2 lety +1

      Truly herculean, agreed. For quite some time it was thought it would never be surpassed in length. What are the physical limits, one wonders?

  • @JamesAllenJr
    @JamesAllenJr Před 10 lety +90

    I read studies of this jump. Speed normal... nearly all the speed and acceleration and deceleration forces of his limbs were normal; the difference being the perfect timing of each of his limbs, his body itself moving upward at the last step, and not Decelerating as much as the normal jumper. Most jumpers body parts fight against each other with some parts accelerating and other decelerating at take off and they reach out with their last step (slowing their forward motion tremendously). It was just the "Perfect Storm" of a jump that showed up what a human is capable of at near his best.

    • @FatherOfAwesome
      @FatherOfAwesome Před 9 lety +16

      Aside from this jump being technically perfect, Beamon had an enormous advantage because of the location of the Olympic Games of 1968: Mexico City.
      At an altitude of 2300m, through a decrease in gravity (from 9,81 m/s2 to 9,72 m/s2) and a decrease in air density, he was able to jump further. Without these advantages (related to the location of the Olympic Games), it has been calculated he would have jumped 31 centimeters (=12.2 inches) less (!).
      Not saying this is not an extraordinary jump, but still, he had a major advantage.
      Source: course in exercise physiology, university of Leuven, Belgium

    • @usmh
      @usmh Před 9 lety +3

      ***** And what about the adverse effects of high altitude...?

    • @mikec9750
      @mikec9750 Před 9 lety +3

      usmh What exactly would be the adverse affects of high altitude in a 40m run? Decreased O2 only causes desaturation in endurance events. Even an athlete who hasn't trained in high altitude would have a reserve well able to the handle this short of distance.

    • @FatherOfAwesome
      @FatherOfAwesome Před 9 lety +2

      usmh What Mike says. At increased altitude, running distances below 400 meters have an advantage. Performance at distances above 400 meters decreases. This is because below 400 meters the energy supplied can be delivered through anaerobic processes.

    • @usmh
      @usmh Před 9 lety

      *****
      Which blood cell count is changed by high altitude...?

  • @haroldhumerickhouse8433
    @haroldhumerickhouse8433 Před 5 lety +11

    I was 16 yrs old and a long jumper in high school and to have an achievement like this happen at the time was like a dream come through for long jumpers. I’ll never forget the impact it had on us. This was also the year I won our league championship.

  • @johnhunter2294
    @johnhunter2294 Před 4 lety +14

    This is one of the greatest athletic feats of all time. It's up there with Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game and Secretariat's 2:24 in the Belmont. It took DECADES for the track-and-field world to catch up to Beamon, and his jump is still, 51 years later, the second-longest of all time.

    • @renerpho
      @renerpho Před 2 lety +2

      Indeed. To think that, if it wasn't for that one crazy night in Tokyo in 1991, Beamon's record would still stand. As of 2022, it has been 13 years since anybody has broken 8.70 m, let alone 8.90 m.

    • @OwlRTA
      @OwlRTA Před 2 lety +2

      @@renerpho One crazy night in Tokyo that had 3 of the top 5 best wind-legal jumps (not even including Carl Lewis's wind-assisted jump that beat this jump).

  • @CharleyDalai
    @CharleyDalai Před 3 lety +6

    My all-time favorite Olympic moment and this is wonderful to see Mr Beamon talk about it. Salute to you.

  • @fosbury68
    @fosbury68 Před 8 lety +626

    Still, as of 2016, the 2nd longest jump ever. Nearly 48 years ago.

    • @brkibbe9097
      @brkibbe9097 Před 8 lety +24

      Mike Powell's jump was 8.95 metres...these one was 8.90

    • @donatoprada
      @donatoprada Před 8 lety +24

      8.91 windy. Pedroso did 8.96 but judges made a mess.

    • @ronwbowlingjr
      @ronwbowlingjr Před 8 lety +91

      Still doesn't match the magnitude of Beamon.

    • @jasonswift7098
      @jasonswift7098 Před 8 lety

      no he did not!

    • @blackettcharlie
      @blackettcharlie Před 8 lety +11

      Speaking of windy lets not forget Powell's 8.99. Plus it was calculated that Pedroso's 8.96 was with just +1.2 so really it should be the record.

  • @Spud_E_Buddy
    @Spud_E_Buddy Před 3 lety +58

    I met him once in Miami, FL in the late 80’s on the basketball court at the park. We played on the same team for a random 5-on-5. Such a super nice guy! Sadly, I was the only person that recognized him. I did high and long jump in High School a couple years prior to that, so how could I not know who he was. I played it cool, lol, but told him how amazing I thought his achievement was. He humbly just said thank you.

    • @Tew730
      @Tew730 Před 2 lety +8

      you met a world RECORD holder thats fantastic

    • @robertgieseler1220
      @robertgieseler1220 Před 2 lety +3

      Congrats on your encounter, and on having met such a nice guy.

    • @toddtrimble2555
      @toddtrimble2555 Před 2 lety +1

      Just a wonderful story. The enormity of the achievement at that time can hardly be overstated. Moreover in Mexico City which is at quite an elevation, posing a disadvantage to many track and field athletes.

    • @toddtrimble2555
      @toddtrimble2555 Před 2 lety

      @Mark rapacki Any explanation why it helped? (Please don't say the lessened gravitational force: the difference between there and at sea level is about 7 parts in 10000, by a back-of-envelope calculation, as is easily shown.)

    • @bconigliaro
      @bconigliaro Před rokem +1

      @Spud E. Buddy The Phoenix Suns took a flyer & drafted Beamon in the late rounds.

  • @jimbeam4140
    @jimbeam4140 Před 8 lety +52

    Fucking crazy. Closest thing to a sports miracle ever.

  • @adrianconnew5309
    @adrianconnew5309 Před 8 lety +23

    Every time time I watch this it inspires me to greater heights. Never give up , never surrender and always believe in yourself.

  • @56postoffice
    @56postoffice Před 4 lety +5

    Two of the best gamechangers from the '68 Games: Bob Beamon with this immortal jump and Dick Fosbury in the high jump. And Beamon's distance is still an Olympic record to this day😲!!

  • @abhijeet2628
    @abhijeet2628 Před 8 lety +224

    how can someone even dislike this

    • @Jonashall1
      @Jonashall1 Před 8 lety +20

      White men cant jump...

    • @Reese2279
      @Reese2279 Před 6 lety +2

      Jonas Hall.......I'm 6'3" and when I was 24 I could touch a 10 foot rim with my elbow

    • @honestyfenix530
      @honestyfenix530 Před 6 lety +10

      ALL "dislikes" in videos where dislikes make no sense, like this one, the number is usually somewhere between 100 and 200 dislikes, which tells me that there are SOME PEOPLE, specific individuals, who go around looking for these videos to simply put thumbs down in them. As hard to understand as Beamon's jump!

    • @TheVagolfer
      @TheVagolfer Před 6 lety +2

      Ralph Boston visits here often.

    • @nevertheless123
      @nevertheless123 Před 6 lety +6

      trump gave a thumbs down!

  • @BlueLeopard200
    @BlueLeopard200 Před 10 lety +20

    imagine being there for that momentous moment in sporting history

  • @orwellknew9112
    @orwellknew9112 Před rokem +4

    That was Beamon’s first and only jump in the Olympics. It is still the Olympic Record to this date, over 50 years later. Carl Lewis, as great a jumper as he was, could not break Beamon’s record even though he jumped in 4 consecutive Olympic Games, winning the Gold Medal in all 4.
    Only one man has ever jumped further in over 50 years and he only did it once. Mike Powell jumped 2 inches further in Tokyo in 1991 in his famous competition with Carl Lewis. That was the greatest long jump competition in history, with both jumpers putting out massive jumps close to the world record.
    But what Beamon did as a pure amateur in his first and only Olympic appearance will never be equaled. He obliterated the existing World Record by almost 2 feet. After that, he got busy with the rest of his life because Track and Field was a purely amateur sport in those days and it didn’t put food on the table. For that reason, for me Beamon stands alone at the pinnacle of all track and field performances. His physical gifts were so other worldly, one can only imagine what that man could have done with all the modern advances in the sport and the opportunity to jump as a professional.

  • @ImaDrummer55
    @ImaDrummer55 Před 3 lety +5

    Wow ! I remember that jump to this day !! I was 13, and my brothers and I were GLUED to the TV set, and we just couldn't believe what we had just seen !! What an AMAZING athlete -- so deserving. To this day, one of my fondest memories in all of sports !!!

  • @sonnydelight5737
    @sonnydelight5737 Před 5 lety +5

    Mr. Beamon's jump was only the second most amazing thing to happen that day. Look at the two judges sitting there. They would have known that Beamon had just obliterated the record. Yet, they just sit there, staring straight ahead, as if thinking "Wonder what's for supper tonight". AMAZING!!!

  • @scrumpymanjack
    @scrumpymanjack Před 3 lety +40

    This is a freakish jump - just incredible. There’s a point in his flight where he should start to arc down but actually continues traveling upwards. It’s scary amazing - and is certainly THE single-best performance in the entire history of the Games.

    • @TomUK7
      @TomUK7 Před 2 lety +2

      Yeah. I noticed that too. I am fascinated by the mechanics of athleticism. It seemed as though he gave his body an additional boost by whipping his left leg from under him and forward at just the right millisecond. No doubt the rotation of his arms occurred in just the perfect synchronicity with the leap and his forward momentum too. And who knows...maybe a gust of wind?! I know this seems obvious but the timing of all these movements can give the body added elasticity and power. I'm not a scientist so probably using wrong words! So much of sports is technique.

    • @josephmother2659
      @josephmother2659 Před rokem +1

      @@TomUK7espn has done tests on a professional nba player and determined that it’s impossible to change the parabolic arc of jumping up and down once in the air but I’m no expert so maybe it’s possible that would be cool

    • @Don_Turbulento76
      @Don_Turbulento76 Před rokem

      EXACTLY my thougths. @@TomUK7

    • @Don_Turbulento76
      @Don_Turbulento76 Před rokem

      Interrestingly you dont see this "extra kick" in slowmotion.

    • @Wallyworld30
      @Wallyworld30 Před 10 měsíci

      He did it before PED's too. Legit as it gets!

  • @terrye3
    @terrye3 Před 3 lety +8

    Probably the greatest track and field record of all time.

  • @freddieveltziii1958
    @freddieveltziii1958 Před 2 lety +16

    I still get teary eyed when I see moments like this.

  • @TheIrishrogue68
    @TheIrishrogue68 Před 8 lety +226

    The greatest single achievement by an athlete in the history of sport.

  • @frederickkruse4815
    @frederickkruse4815 Před 8 lety +8

    I was watching on TV as a teenager -- still amazing to see, thanks for posting.

  • @spidey-tron7827
    @spidey-tron7827 Před 5 lety +30

    No longer the world record but will always be the most beautiful jump. He looked so graceful and went really high and nailed the landing.

    • @bernicemoore5182
      @bernicemoore5182 Před rokem +3

      It's still the Olympic record.

    • @coldtyre
      @coldtyre Před 10 měsíci +1

      I agree. Powell was a monster but he was anything but graceful, lol

  • @VCthaGOATdunker
    @VCthaGOATdunker Před 2 lety +6

    *British narration* "The jump was so vast and supreme, it had trancended time and space. Bob had leapt so far it created a black hole far into the furthest galaxies"

  • @elliottparkmusic6303
    @elliottparkmusic6303 Před 3 lety +5

    I’ve watched this leap a thousand times and I swear when he puts his legs up for the landing it’s like you can see his whole body levitate up a few more inches. Amazing.

    • @CalvinHikes
      @CalvinHikes Před 2 lety

      Yes. Like it was partially magic.

  • @ceddycedchin
    @ceddycedchin Před 5 lety +4

    Considering the year it took place (1968), the amount Beamon's leap broke the record by (21+ inches), and how long the record stood (23 years), this is arguably the greatest individual moment in sports history. Astonishing that it remains the Olympic record and 2nd longest jump (wind legal) in history.

  • @mjcamck
    @mjcamck Před 8 lety +15

    This is a reminder, amid all the, otherwise, horrid humans-being-inhumane-to-other-humans headlines, that people CAN spend their time & energy pursuing peaceful, life affirming achievements. THANK YOU, Mr. Bob Beamon (and your entire support team) for gifting all of us with this shining moment. Peace, everyone, everywhere.

  • @elefantkaki
    @elefantkaki Před 7 lety +73

    that day there was a glitch in the matrix

    • @evalsoftserver
      @evalsoftserver Před 4 lety +1

      Almost like Physical law or processes glitched for a few seconds around Beamon

  • @kilim5583
    @kilim5583 Před 7 lety +16

    And still the Olympic record 49 years later.

    • @mongoslade277
      @mongoslade277 Před 3 lety +1

      They don't even jump 28 feet these days. That olympic record will Never be broken

  • @fourtheboys96
    @fourtheboys96 Před 9 lety +7

    29ft 2.5in is what really stuck in my mind. I just heard it a long time ago in some tv commercials but it still stuck in mind. When I youtube the actual jump, besides it being a world record, it was a beauty to watch.

  • @joshuamccarroll5546
    @joshuamccarroll5546 Před 9 lety +285

    If you have a measuring tape measure out 29ft this is insane when you see it in person ...

  • @davidspencer4208
    @davidspencer4208 Před 7 lety +6

    this is one of my top 10 memorable sports moments. thanks bob.

  • @98gsoup
    @98gsoup Před 8 lety +87

    sitting in the stands across from the block when he did that

    • @lw216316
      @lw216316 Před 8 lety +2

      did you think it looked that long when you first saw it?
      Did he ever jump that far again?

    • @TheIrishrogue68
      @TheIrishrogue68 Před 8 lety +2

      No, unfortunately, he never came close to jumping that far again.

    • @lw216316
      @lw216316 Před 8 lety +18

      I looked at his run and compared it to other great runs
      and I think I noticed something different
      that might partially explain why it went so far.....
      I noticed his feet and legs while he was in the air...
      his feet came up as high as his head while he was in the air
      and they were together....
      other runners I looked at only had their legs up to chest height
      and not always together, one leg lower than the other...
      Perhaps this gave him maximum extension -
      the run is measured by where the heel touches down
      so maximum extension is very important -
      and with his legs - head high, together, level to the ground,
      pointed straight ahead
      that would give him the least wind resistance
      as he was in the air.
      I wonder if other runners or coaches have noticed that ?
      Of course speed also plays a part
      but I can't determine his speed based on my casual observation
      of this video.

    • @TheIrishrogue68
      @TheIrishrogue68 Před 8 lety +12

      Beamon had excellent speed...had run the 100m under 10.5. The 6000 foot altitude of Mexico City certainly helped too. His form was perfect too on that day, as you pointed out.

    • @spjr99
      @spjr99 Před 5 lety +12

      @Mook Wolf i do you sound like a fucking neckbeard crybaby loser

  • @DGF2
    @DGF2 Před 5 lety +9

    Mike Powell has the WR, Mr. Beamon's leap..... that's just an iconic moment in sports history. I wasn't born yet, but I get goosebumps watching his reaction.
    There are a couple instances, in track specifically, where a lesser distance/height/time is THE MOMENT. Usain's 2008 Olympic 100m final, to me, is much more memorable and iconic than his WR race a year later.
    Michael Johnson's Olympic 1996 200m final... that tops Usain's record in 2009.
    The sheer shock of the moment lives longer than the record!
    For a new adjective (Beamonesque) to be born out of your moment..... that's all you gotta know. Possibly the best athletic achievement ever.

  • @pazukong
    @pazukong Před 6 lety +15

    Oh I didn't know about this until I read Irresistible by Adam Alter. Mr Beamon is such a force of this humankind and this video makes me want to cry.

  • @barath4545
    @barath4545 Před 3 lety +1

    It's been 53 years now, here in 2021 after the Olympics, and it is STILL the Olympic record.
    It is STILL the 2nd longest alltime jump, as the Carl Lewis 1991 jump of 8.91 was wind-aided.
    This jump was aided by altitude, sure, but the rest of the field in 1968, never got over 8.19!
    Bob won by 61 cm.

  • @chrisverby3047
    @chrisverby3047 Před 2 lety +1

    This jump was such a shock to Beamon's body that he never jumped over 27' again. It was explained that he physiologically rejected ever doing it to himself again. He still jumped 26+ at the 1969 US outdoor nationals and won. Great competitor.

  • @user-cw3zf6nv1t
    @user-cw3zf6nv1t Před 11 měsíci +3

    Simply the greatest track and field feats of all time. Amazing!

  • @bobt5778
    @bobt5778 Před 8 lety +3

    I can remember this as a 9 year old watching on TV. The amount by which he eclipsed the old record blew me away!

  • @MadchenLear
    @MadchenLear Před 3 lety +2

    Didn't know there was footage, especially of the man himself speaking on it. Powerful.

  • @Dealit707
    @Dealit707 Před 10 lety +7

    This jump was the greatest record of ANY kind in the history of sport.
    To put this record in perspective; It would be like someone running a 3:30 mile, or a high jumping 9 ft..

  • @davidmccormick426
    @davidmccormick426 Před 6 lety +4

    I watched this live on tv one of the greatest moments in athletic history.

  • @catandfishfc
    @catandfishfc Před 8 lety +25

    "Fuck gravity" *jumps*

  • @jimimurti
    @jimimurti Před 17 dny

    I was 6 years old when this happened. I do remember my father telling me what he had seen on television and visualised in our room how long the jump was. Something I will never forget. I just saw for the first time in my life this jump on this youtube channel, goosebumps. So thanks for uploading😊

  • @davida1610
    @davida1610 Před 5 lety +8

    Bob's jump here was akin to someone running 3:45 in the mile, before Roger Bannister even broke 4 flat.
    Massive achievement !

  • @timkjazz
    @timkjazz Před 7 lety +138

    21 and 3/4 inches farther than the old record? That's so beyond the realm of physical achievements it may be the single greatest athletic achievement of all-time. It's almost as if someone ran the 100 meters in about 8.8 seconds or the mile in about 3:30. Astonishing!

    • @EGarrett01
      @EGarrett01 Před 5 lety +21

      Beamon's increase, 835 cm to 890 cm, is a 6.59% improvement on the World Record. It's the equivalent of someone passing Usain Bolt's 9.58 World Record by getting an 8.98.

    • @EGarrett01
      @EGarrett01 Před 5 lety +21

      If you don't realize that I'm referring to Bolt's record in the 100 meters. You're an idiot. Also, "World Record" is capitalized in the video title, Guinness capitalizes "World Record," I'll capitalize it too. Do you have any other worthless things to say?

    • @msalzberg4962
      @msalzberg4962 Před 5 lety +6

      @Desmond Bagley Then why did no one else come close to the old record? The altitude was the same for all of the competitors.

    • @veridicusmaximus6010
      @veridicusmaximus6010 Před 5 lety +1

      @@yes9421 I don't think it is about discrediting it but understanding it. Beamon never before or after jumped near this. It was his best one off performance with a 2.0 tailwind and high altitude - both helped get him that record. It is still a massive jump of around 8.70 meters without. His previous best was 8.33. A little history behind this is that some controversy existed because some thought the official was truncating the wind readings to integer values - for example a reading between 2.0 and 2.99 would get 2.0. But nothing can prove this. It was still his best jump ever and it just happened at the right time. Will always be a legend.

    • @mustafaafzal4749
      @mustafaafzal4749 Před 5 lety +5

      Desmond Bagley Ralph Boston had a 1.8 tailwind and only got 27 feet and 1/2 inch in 1961. But Mike Powell did beat Beamon’s jump with only a 0.3 tailwind and a low altitude yet still almost got 2 inches longer. However, Beamon’s jump will still always be remembered as one of the greatest athletic achievements. He beat it by almost 2 *feet* man.

  • @805Bruin
    @805Bruin  Před 12 lety +313

    If altitude was such a huge factor, then how come no one else in the 1968 games came close to what Beamon jumped?

    • @vestibulate
      @vestibulate Před 6 lety +41

      805Bruin From watching this video, it appears the only altitude advantage consisted in the astonishing height Beamon was able to attain. It's no wonder he went so far, considering his elevation combined with takeoff velocity.

    • @mathematics5573
      @mathematics5573 Před 6 lety +17

      it wasn't just the altitude. A low pressure had passed over head, I believe, just at that moment, which aided him jumping so far. He was also very talented.

    • @williedaniels3882
      @williedaniels3882 Před 6 lety +23

      I watched that jump on ABC Sports when it happened in 1968 (the year I graduated H.S.) And I came to the same conclusion. It was a record for the ages! And am glad Lewis did NOT get the new record--Mike Powell did. Lewis always thought his shit didn't stink! But it sure had a rotten odor to me!

    • @bernicemoore5182
      @bernicemoore5182 Před 4 lety +20

      But Beamon still holds the Olympic record.

    • @terencehill2320
      @terencehill2320 Před 4 lety +7

      Beamon was a beast. Enough said. Only Mike Powell can come close on that and he did it in the normal air of Tokyo, Japan.

  • @shawnbeck2303
    @shawnbeck2303 Před 4 lety +1

    I was 8 years old in 1968. As a young boy. Watching Bob break the long jump record. Would stay with me to this day. I found out later. That I could not jump very far in High school. So my dream of being a long jumper was over. But during the next Olympics in 72 and 76. I caught the long distance running bug. Watching the American's win the Gold in the Marathons. I found my niche. Then took up running. The craze for running was taking over in America. At 29 years old I took up running. Ran till I was 40. Running half Marathons and Marathons. Any long distance race I could find. Ran a 5 minute mile when I was 37. To this day. Watching the Olympics in 68, 72 and 76. Was a dream for me even though I never ran or jumped in the Olympics. I had great hope of reaching that level. Dream on young people! It could be you. Up there on the stage receiving the gold for the United States of America. Shawn.

  • @bobd5062
    @bobd5062 Před 6 lety +7

    There used to be a bar in a Boston hotel with 2 plaques commemorating the achievement, one representing the fault line and one where he landed. As I stood at the near-empty bar, I was absolutely astonished at the distance. And I had seen the jump when it happened on TV. One more thing to raise a glass to.

  • @thinkcivil1627
    @thinkcivil1627 Před 6 lety +5

    This is a mark in sports that sort of slips through the cracks, with regards to how incredible it was. He beat the previous world record by almost 2 feet!!! It is one of those rare occurrences in sports where everything falls into place and as noted below you have to see the distance to appreciate it. Think of all the new training techniques athletes now have, along with space-aged materials for shoes. It is one of the most incredible world records in Track and Field history with regards to when it happened, where it happened and how long it stood into the modern age.

  • @lease2coach170
    @lease2coach170 Před 10 lety +63

    The distance from a basketball free throw line to the point on the floor under the backboard--could you jump that far with a running start? Yeah, probably, right?
    Okay, that's 15 feet. Now double that distance. Think you could jump _that_ far with a running start? Think you could get anywhere *near* it?

    • @JamesAllenJr
      @JamesAllenJr Před 9 lety +12

      Still today a 27 foot jump will win almost any track meet in the world.

  • @jimbones155
    @jimbones155 Před 8 lety +13

    One thing is for sure: no one is likely to ever break the long jump world record again by that percentage. It would take a jump of about 30 foot 9 inches. Crazy.

  • @jimwagoner4741
    @jimwagoner4741 Před 3 lety +3

    I remember watching this on TV as a kid. One of the most remarkable sporting achievements. I can’t think of any record getting obliterated like that long jump record did by Beamon.

  • @ragglepuss
    @ragglepuss Před 5 lety +4

    Only sportsman in history to create an adjective for extraordinary
    achievement: Beamonesque. Says it all.

  • @sandraadcock7408
    @sandraadcock7408 Před 12 lety +8

    I love those hops he continues to do.

  • @deonal
    @deonal Před 4 lety +9

    The height he reaches at about the 0:23 second mark of this video is jaw dropping!

  • @mphrdldn
    @mphrdldn Před rokem +1

    I remember watching this event on TV. Unsure if it was live but what an impact Beamon made on the Olympics. Our entire team did well.

  • @cranez006
    @cranez006 Před 12 lety +4

    Agreed. Definately one of the most amazing sports moments EVER.

  • @troytheriot8679
    @troytheriot8679 Před 4 lety +3

    I think that jump in perspective is the greatest of all the world records

  • @johnceragioli9671
    @johnceragioli9671 Před 6 lety +3

    I remember seeing this live, Mr. Beamon’s reaction was and still is priceless!

  • @carlwebster958
    @carlwebster958 Před 2 lety +1

    2022 And his record still stands.
    Absolutely Amazing!!💯

  • @yianpap
    @yianpap Před 12 lety +8

    This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

  • @greysonG10
    @greysonG10 Před 5 lety +3

    Love how a clip from 1968 is car better quality than the 1991 video.

  • @yourontheair
    @yourontheair Před 6 lety +1

    Congratulations Mr. Beamon. Millions including me were watching on TV.

  • @robertphillips3078
    @robertphillips3078 Před 3 lety

    Mr Bob Beamon.... 1968 l was 11 yrs old when u made that incredible long jump. 2 👀👀 u interviewed all these yrs later showed me that u r a nice humble guy. We will never 4get ur God given talent. Blessings 2 U & ur family

  • @pastashack3517
    @pastashack3517 Před rokem +3

    He beat the record by 6.5%, which is immense. In the sprints, that would be equivalent to someone running 100m in 8.95, beating Bolt's record of 9.58

  • @DBALextras
    @DBALextras Před 4 lety +3

    50+ years later and it's still the Olympic record!

  • @kvernon1
    @kvernon1 Před 3 lety +1

    I remember this event being covered by an article in Sports Illustrated. It was called "The Long Long Jump", and it featured a picture of him collapsed to his knees with two teammates attempting to hold him up after he realized what he had done.

  • @normadesmond6017
    @normadesmond6017 Před 5 lety +2

    This is not to be believed. They did't even have a tape long enough to measure it. The best olympic achievement ever.

    • @firestar7188
      @firestar7188 Před 21 dnem

      At time 0:53 U see the optics bar that was too short. On athletics tournament there
      are long enough tapes to measure long jumps discus javelin if the lasers or optics do not function

  • @billysuter
    @billysuter Před rokem +3

    Unbelievable how far he travels before coming down, he literally flew

  • @blurazz1808
    @blurazz1808 Před 10 lety +40

    when i was watching this i was like: "it doesn't look THAT far...."
    until i measured it with a tape.... and its freakin insane

  • @rjtrisurfer
    @rjtrisurfer Před 4 lety +1

    Bob sat in front of me during home room at Jamaica High School in 1965. He was a great basketball player as well, he took our team to the NYC high school championship, which was some feat. Some people say they could have beaten the Knicks that year if they played.

  • @tdvcleve
    @tdvcleve Před 5 lety +2

    Bob Beamon’s jump was beyond incredible, it was long jump perfection!

  • @user-dr4nt5fn2u
    @user-dr4nt5fn2u Před 7 lety +3

    Чудесное видио ... Апофеоз Молодости ...Фейерверк Безграничных Возможностей...Вспышка Нового Супер Качества....Изумлению и Восхищению нет предела..!!!!!

  • @musictest9999
    @musictest9999 Před 10 lety +17

    he jumped out of my computer screen and into another universe

    • @michaelterry1000
      @michaelterry1000 Před 3 lety

      Yea, he jumped off of my Windows computer screen and landed on the Linux screen on the other side of the room.

  • @bjoycebradshaw3633
    @bjoycebradshaw3633 Před 7 lety +1

    As a fourteen year old watching this event, I still, to this day get "goosebumps" watching this! Franz Klammer's downhill run in 1976 is fantastic also.

  • @mr.johnson460
    @mr.johnson460 Před 3 lety +2

    Greatest record in the history of sports, period. Dick Schapp's book "The Perfect Jump" is a good read.

  • @JordansTake35
    @JordansTake35 Před 6 lety +8

    As a former basketball player I always used to think about it like this, Imagine Lebron James jumped from 5 feet behind the nba 3pt line and had his feet land at the baseline... Think about that, the sheer absurdity of that distance.. I still think the long jump records are the most incredible in human history. You really can't fully appreciate it until you pull out a measuring tape and see it with your won eyes.. You get the feeling of, "absolutely no way this is humanly possible.. this is flying".

  • @damongwinn
    @damongwinn Před 3 lety +4

    He basically jumped from the top of the key NBA 3 point line to the baseline, and then another foot and some change.
    Damn!!

    • @michaelwoodward9894
      @michaelwoodward9894 Před 3 lety +1

      In football he jump a first down

    • @mongoslade277
      @mongoslade277 Před 3 lety +1

      @@michaelwoodward9894 3 feet in a yard. You're exactly right. Think about that!!!!! He jumped to a first down. Literally. THAT'S INSANE

  • @craigmccausland1183
    @craigmccausland1183 Před 2 lety +2

    A thing of beauty. I remember seeing on TV in '68 and being totally gobsmacked by this man who could fly! No other words for it, he flew!

  • @michaelgilbert3713
    @michaelgilbert3713 Před 19 minutami +1

    HE DESERVED GOLD 🥇 ⚡ CZcams COMMUNITY GUIDELINES 📺 1968 🇲🇽