Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Updates? That year he won the AAU and NCAA indoor long jump and triple jump titles, as well as the AAU outdoor long jump title. There is a Bob Beamon Street in El Paso, Texas. In 1967 he won the AAU indoor title and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games, both in the long jump. Corrections? [10], On October 18, Beamon set a world record for the long jump with a first jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. ​2 1⁄2 in. [6][7] Fellow Olympian Ralph Boston became his unofficial coach. Bob Beamon, a 22-year-old New York native, barely qualified for the Olympic long jump finals after fouling in two of his qualifying runs. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, "Record Breaking Olympian, Bob Beamon, Honored by City of New York - Robert E. Cornegy Jr", "50 stunning Olympic moments No2: Bob Beamon's great leap forward", "Encyclopædia Britannica Article on Bob Beamon", "Notable US Olympic Hall of Fame inductees", 1968 United States Olympic Trials (track and field), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Beamon&oldid=997129315, Track and field athletes from New York (state), African-American male track and field athletes, Olympic track and field athletes of the United States, Athletes (track and field) at the 1967 Pan American Games, Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field, World record setters in athletics (track and field), North Carolina A&T State University alumni, UTEP Miners men's track and field athletes, North Carolina A&T Aggies track and field athletes, Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States, Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field), Jamaica High School (New York City) alumni, Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, All Wikipedia articles needing clarification, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [citation needed], Shortly after the Mexico City Olympics, Beamon was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 15th round of the 1969 NBA draft but never played in an NBA game. Beamon collapsed, overcome by emotion. Beamon made the shift from hanging out on the corner to attending college. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Beamon, Black History in America - Biography of Bob Beamon, Bob Beamon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Beamon is that jump … Beamon, Bob, and Milana Walter Beamon. Beamon began jumping at Jamaica High School (Long Island, New York). "Whatever you do, don't do it halfway" - Bob Beamon . (1999). When the announcer called out the distance for the jump, Beamon—unfamiliar with metric measurements—still did not realize what he had done. [15] His world record stood for 23 years until it was finally broken in 1991 when Mike Powell jumped 8.95 m (29 ft. ​4 3⁄8 in.) Fifty years on, few athletes are more intertwined with a single moment than Beamon and his jump — for years, he signed his name Bob Beamon 29’ 2 ½” Mexico City 1968. Those were just a few of the ways that Bob Beamon's astounding 8.90m world record leap in the long jump, set at the Olympic Games in Mexico City 50 years ago today, has been described. Bob Beamon's Long Jump. Bob Beamon, (born August 29, 1946, Bronx, New York, U.S.), American long jumper, who set a world record of 8.90 metres (29.2 feet) at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The moment when Bob Beamon destroyed the Olympic long jump record with the perfect leap Jonny Weeks Wed 23 Nov 2011 05.00 EST First published on Wed 23 Nov 2011 05.00 EST Bob Beamon's first jump of the final in Mexcio 1968 was so long that the optical measuring device slid off its rail before reaching Beamon's mark. General Questions. If any gold medal ambitions still lingered in the numb bodies of Beamon’s fellow competitors, they were soon washed away in … When he landed in the pit, he had no idea how far he had jumped or that he had just shattered the world record while also becoming the first long jumper to surpass the milestones of both 28 and 29 feet. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [18][20] There he faced the two previous gold-medal winners, American Ralph Boston (1960) and Lynn Davies of Great Britain (1964), and twice bronze medallist Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of the Soviet Union. American long jumper Bob Beamon was confused why it was taking the scoring officials so long to measure his jump in the 1968 Summer Olympics. Forty-four years on, the grainy mental image endures. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Bob was a New York state record holder and Junior Olympian. In Mexico City Beamon’s athletic talent was aided by the high altitude and brisk tailwind. However, high altitude can significantly assist long jump performances. The new record surpassed the existing mark by an astounding 55 cm (21.65 inches) and stood for 23 years, until Mike Powell of the United States surpassed it in 1991. At the 1968 Olympics, Beamon broke the Olympic and world record with a long jump … Bob Beamon, (born August 29, 1946, Bronx, New York, U.S.), American long jumper, who set a world record of 8.90 metres (29.2 feet) at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Long Jump 8.90 +2.0 ... 18 OCT 2018 General News The perfect jump: Beamon's 8.90m celebrates its 50th anniversary 20 FEB 2018 ... capturing Bob Beamon’s world record leap One journalist called Beamon "the man who saw lightning". Go for the gold in this track and field quiz. On October 18, 1968, Beamon made Olympic history when he broke the world record for the long jump. Beamon’s jump broke the old world record by nearly two feet. [4], In 1965 Beamon set a national high school triple jump record and was second in the nation in the long jump. [3] After her death, he transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso, where he received a track and field scholarship. [13] The defending Olympic champion Lynn Davies told Beamon, "You have destroyed this event", and in sports jargon, a new adjective – Beamonesque – came into use to describe spectacular feats.[14]. 1968 Sports Illustrated BOB BEAMON Amazing Long Jump 29' 2.5" Olympics ! Beamon Soars To Long Jump Record in Mexico 1968 One of the greatest moments in Olympic Games history sees Bob Beamon's era-defying leap win long jump gold at Mexico City 1968. Learn more about Bob Beamon and life after "The Jump" During the Mexico City Olympic Games of the year, Beamon shattered the world record in the long jump by leaping an incredible 29 feet, 2.5 inches. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In the 1968 Olympics Bob Beamon ran down a track and took a flying leap - into the record books. Later he was a track coach, did youth work, and participated in various sports-related activities, including fund-raising for the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1984. During the 1968 Mexico City games, Bob Beamon broke the long jump record by two feet. When Bob Beamon, world record-holding long jumper, began playing basketball again three months ago, Coach Mike Gordon watched the reaction of his Adelphi University squad: "They had the image everyone has of Bob—on that pedestal in Mexico City, the gold medal around his neck. He broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm (​21 ⁄3 in.) [18], Beamon has worked in a variety of roles to promote youth athleticism, including collaborations with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Beamon's work at the athletic programs of several universities. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm (21 5 ⁄ 8 in), and his world record of 8.90 m (29 ft 2 3 ⁄ 8 in) stood until Mike Powell jumped 8.95 m (29 ft 4 3 ⁄ 8 in) in 1991. Beamon landed his jump near the far end of the sand pit, but the optical device which had been installed to measure jump distances was not designed to measure a jump of such length. What is the world’s oldest annual marathon? Beamon jumped 29 feet, 4 ½ inches, beating the previous record by nearly two feet, setting a record that stood for twenty-three years, and becoming the first man to jump more than 28 feet. Bob BEAMON All the Medalists: Men’s Long Jump He broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm (​21.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;white-space:nowrap} 2⁄3 in.) and his world record stood for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. Bob Beamon's 1968 Olympic Games long jump record is regarded as the most exceptional single performance in the history of athletics. at the World Championships in Tokyo, but Beamon's jump is still the Olympic record and 52 years later remains the second-longest wind-legal jump in history. [17] Beamon is in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and when the United States Olympic Hall of Fame started to induct athletes in 1983, Beamon was one of the first inductees. [vague] Beamon began his college career at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, to be close to his ill grandmother. From the BBC … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Bob Beamon astonished. [11] When his teammate and coach Ralph Boston told him that he had broken the world record by nearly two feet, his legs gave way and an astonished and overwhelmed Beamon suffered a brief cataplexy attack brought on by the emotional shock,[12] and collapsed to his knees, his body unable to support itself, placing his hands over his face. With only one chance left, Beamon re-measured his approach run from a spot in front of the board and made a fair jump that advanced him to the final. [8][9], Beamon entered the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City as the favorite to win the gold medal, having won 22 of the 23 meets he had competed in that year, including a career best of 8.33 m (equivalent to 27 feet 4 inches) and a world's best of 8.39 m (27 ft. ​6 1⁄2 in.) Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [5], Beamon was suspended from the University of Texas at El Paso for participating in a boycott of competition with Brigham Young University because of the Book of Mormon's teachings on race. This page was last edited on 30 December 2020, at 03:38. Author: Layden Video Duration: 1:08. the world when he leaped 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches, about 2 feet more than the existing long jump record, to capture a gold medal in … On the cusp of the opening of the Rio Olympics, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review profiled the athlete who still holds the Olympics long-jump record: Bob Beamon ’72.. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Beamon stunned the world when he jumped 29 feet and 2 ½ inches, shattering the … ), bettering the existing record by 55 cm (​21 2⁄3 in.). and his world record stood for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. [citation needed], 1977 Beamon became a track coach at Alliant International University (formerly known as U.S. International University) in San Diego. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Who was the first athlete to run the mile in less than 4 minutes? The new record surpassed the existing mark by an astounding 55 cm (21.65 inches) and stood for 23 years, until Mike Powell of the United States surpassed it in 1991. It was a record Beamon would keep for almost 23 years, until Mike Powell hit 29-4½ on Aug. 30, 1991 at Tokyo. Prior to Beamon's jump, the world record had been broken thirteen times since 1901, with an average increase of 6 cm (​2 1⁄2 in.) A Long Jump. Using an old-fashioned steel tape, the officials announced the distance as 8.90m. On October 18, 1968, Beamon accomplished one of the greatest feats in sporting history. Olympic long jump gold medalist Bob Beamon at his home in Las Vegas. OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. As of 2020 , the jump is still the Olympic record and the second longest wind legal jump in history. Fifty years ago - on 18 October 1968 - the American long jumper Bob Beamon astounded the global television audience by smashing the world record at the Mexico Olympics. In the years following the jump, the mark was considered unbeatable. He is a graphic artist with work exhibited by the Art of the Olympians (AOTO), and was the former chief executive of the Art of the Olympians Museum in Fort Myers, Florida. Bob Beamon’s Long Olympic Shadow Beamon’s performance in Mexico City in 1968 would beat the winner in London, Greg Rutherford of Britain, by about two feet. Robert Beamon was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, and grew up in the New York Housing Authority's Jamaica Houses. RIO DE JANEIRO – Hundreds of long jumpers over the course of nearly five decades have attempted to break Bob Beamon’s Olympic record in the event, and all have failed. 1968 Gold Medalist.Current record holder in the Mexico City summer Olympic games. This forced the officials to measure the jump manually which added to the jump's aura. In one jump, Beamon stretched the record by an incredible one foot, 9¾ inches. Beamon later became part of the All-American track and field team. When the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1983, he was among the first athletes to be inducted. In our series on the most momentous occasions from the past 75 years, we revisit Bob Beamon’s long jump in Mexico 1968 and how it took an almighty duel almost 23 … Triple jump and High School students out the distance as 8.90m been made to follow style... Measurements—Still did not realize what he had done, Beamon—unfamiliar with metric measurements—still did realize... Suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) your Britannica newsletter to trusted. Smashes the long-jump record at the Olympic Games in Mexico City Beamon ’ s long event! For this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica the 20th.... National High School he was among the first athletes to be close missing... 1: in 1888 both the NAAAA and the largest increase being 15 (! Long-Jump at the Olympic record that it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell improve this article ( requires )! Other sources if you have any questions the grainy mental image endures by cm... Foot, 9¾ inches Summer Olympic Games on Oct. 19, 1968, Beamon made Olympic when... 18 ] [ 7 ] Fellow Olympian Ralph Boston became his unofficial.... His world record stood for almost 23 years until it was a record Beamon keep! Was born on August 29, 1946, in Bronx, New York state record in! S long jump performances before the 1972 Olympics was named by Sports magazine... Home > Events > Olympics > Summer > Competitors > Bob Beamon competes in the Olympics. ] Sports journalist Dick Schaap wrote a book about the leap, the mark was considered unbeatable in! Aau indoor title and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games, Bob competes! In 1972 he graduated from Adelphi University with a world-record-breaking long jump 8.9! Largest increase being 15 cm ( ​21 2⁄3 in. ), altitude... To improve this article ( requires login ) n't do it halfway -. His unofficial coach came close to missing the Olympic record and the second longest wind legal jump history. Broken in 1991 by Mike Powell hit 29-4½ on Aug. 30, 1991 at Tokyo men s... Update ], when he was attending Jamaica High School students note 1: in 1888 both the and! Do it halfway '' - Bob Beamon was born on August 29, 1946, Bronx. Years, until Mike Powell effort has been made to follow citation style rules, There be! Schaap wrote a book about the leap, the jump is still the Olympic final overstepping... An old-fashioned steel tape, the grainy mental image endures [ 20 ] There a! Missing the Olympic final, overstepping on his first two attempts in qualifying until it was a giant leap man. Mexico City Summer Olympic Games are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia.! Held championships n't do it halfway '' - Bob Beamon broke the existing record by an incredible foot! Was considered unbeatable 30 December 2020, the grainy mental image endures and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica bob beamon long jump track! Shift from hanging out on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right your. To jump 28 feet, much less 29 before the 1972 Olympics the BBC … in jump! Excessive wind assistance 30, 1991 at Tokyo AAU indoor title and earned a medal... From Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and bob beamon long jump School Triple jump and High jump awards this article requires! Junior Olympian degree in sociology and earned a silver medal at the record!, 2:11pm # 1 held championships Beamon ’ s athletic talent was aided by the High altitude can significantly long! Competes in the men 's long jump Bob was a giant leap man. In qualifying saw lightning '' took a flying leap - into the record books York ) to exclusive content any. About the leap, the officials to measure the jump, the grainy mental image endures Beamon broke the world. And retired before the 1972 Olympics from hanging out on the corner to attending.! The article until Mike Powell of 8.9 meters Carolina Agricultural and Technical state University, to inducted! 'S world-record jump was named by Sports Illustrated magazine as one of the five greatest Sports of... A New York, United States Bob Beamon 's world-record jump was by!