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high jumper

noun

, Track.
  1. a participant in the high jump.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of high jumper1

First recorded in 1895–1900
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Example Sentences

But wherever his abilities lay, it was plain that the red-headed boy had not been cut out by nature for a high jumper.

"I'm no high-jumper, I guess," he laughed, as he quit the line of contestants.

Matador, the celebrated Belgian high jumper, can do the Spanish trot like a circus horse.

He was a fair high-jumper, usually certain of third place in the Dual Meet.

If you keep on improving as you've done lately, you'll make a high-jumper in a hundred more years, old top!

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More About High Jumper

What is a high jumper?

A high jumper is an athlete who competes in the high jump, a track-and-field competition in which competitors attempt to complete the highest jump over a crossbar with a running start. An attempt in this event (the jump itself) is also called a high jump.

In the high jump, high jumpers must jump from one foot and must not cause the crossbar to fall—or else the attempt does not count. During the competition, the bar continues to be raised so that jumpers can attempt higher jumps. Competitors usually get three attempts to complete a jump.

High jumpers use different high jump techniques, but the most popular involves the high jumper running toward the bar, turning as they jump, leaping over the bar backward, and arching their back in a way that avoids hitting the bar.

The high jump is a track-and-field event in the summer Olympic Games (the Summer Games) and it is also part of the modern decathlon.

The high jump should not be confused with the long jump, which is a track-and-field (and decathlon) event in which athletes (called long jumpers) attempt to jump as far as possible. The pole vault also involves clearing a cross bar at the highest possible height, but pole vaulters do this by vaulting themselves into the air with a pole.

Example: The two high jumpers decided to share the gold medal, delighting fans around the world.

Where does high jumper come from?

The first records of the term high jump as a name for the track-and-field event come from the late 1800s, and high jumper has been used since at least the 1890s. Other track-and-field terms use the words jump and jumper in the same way, including long jump and long jumper.

In the 1800s, high jump competitions gained popularity in Scotland with events like the Highland Games incorporating track-and-field events like it. From 1896 to 1912, there were two separate Olympic events known as the high jump. One involved athletes jumping from a standing position, and the other, called the running high jump, was the one that we now know as the high jump. In 1912, the standing version of the high jump was discontinued. In 1928, a women’s high jump event was added to the Olympics.

The high jump has changed over time. Prior to the 1950s, athletes were allowed to wear shoes that added additional height. Before the 1960s, most high jumpers jumped over the crossbar vertically or head first, into a landing area that consisted of sand, dirt, or turf. Eventually, a cushioned landing area was introduced, and the backward leap technique became the dominant method. It is sometimes known as the Fosbury flop, after high jumper Dick Fosbury, who perfected the technique.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to high jumper?

What are some words that share a root or word element with high jumper

What are some words that often get used in discussing high jumper?

How is high jumper used in real life?

The term high jumper is the common way to refer to a competitor in the high jump.

Try using high jump!

True or False?

In the high jump, the high jumper is allowed to touch the bar as long as they don’t knock it down.

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