Beamon Leaps 29 Feet: Olympic Record Stands 23 Years
Bob Beamon took off from the board at 8.90 meters (29 feet 2.5 inches) in the long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, exceeding the world record by 55 centimeters. The optical measuring equipment at trackside didn't extend far enough to register the distance; officials had to use a manual tape measure. Beamon was told the measurement in meters and didn't understand its significance until a teammate converted it. He collapsed and had to be helped off the field. Fellow competitor Igor Ter-Ovanesyan turned to Lynn Davies and said 'Compared to this jump, we are as children.' Ralph Boston, the defending champion, said 'We can all go home.' The record stood for 23 years until Mike Powell jumped 8.95 meters in Tokyo in 1991. Beamon never jumped beyond 27 feet again in his career.
October 18, 1968
58 years ago
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