Long Jump

The long jump is one of the oldest track and field event for men and women. Athletes compete in this technically demanding event to see which of them can leap the greatest distance through the air from a running start.

There are 5 main elements to the long jump

• The run-up
• Last 2 steps before reaching the take off board
• The take off itself
• The technique through the air
• The landing

Athlete Profile

One of the keys to success in the long jump is a fast run up, it is no coincidence that the event's brightest starts are often outstanding 100m and 200m sprinters. Height is also an advantage as the further an athlete can reach, the greater jump distance they will achieve.

Long Jump Pit

The approach runway should be no less than 40m long and is often 45m. The landing area is a sand filled pit at least 9m long and 2.75m wide. Between the 2 is a 20cm wide take off board. To the front of it, judges may place a strip of plasticine, soft earth, or sand, that will show if the jumper's foot was on the ground beyond the take off limit

Rules and Attempts

When attempting a jump, competitors may tread on the take off board but they must not allow any part of their feet to go over its farthest edge, called the scratch line. If they overstep the scratch line, the jump is invalid. A legal jump is indicated by an official who holds up a white flag; foul jumps are signalled by ad red flag. Each contestant has 3 attempts, unless there are fewer than 8 competitors, in which case they may each have 6 jumps. At 8 level events, athletes must participate in 2 preliminary knock out rounds. The winner is the athlete with the longest valid jump in the final round. In the event of a tie, the second best trials are taken into consideration.

Measurements

No matter where on the runway the athlete takes off, each valid jump is measured from the front edge of the take off board to the nearest mark made in the sand by any part of the competitor's body.