Dubai: The inventor of the "Fosbury Flop" is proposing a change in the rules to make high jump an even more exciting track and field event.
"It surprises me that till today everyone still uses the style that I found. But there is perhaps a need to alter the manner in which the jumps are conducted. Maybe we should opt for a different way to play the game," said Dick Fosbury, a 1968 Olympic gold medal winner who popularised and perfected the "Fosbury Flop" jumping style.
Fosbury was in Dubai to participate in the charity auction dinner jointly organised by Right To Play and the Dubai Sports Council on Monday night.
"I've thought about this before. The only thing that I would be possibly change is the rules for jumping events in track and field," Fosbury told Gulf News.
Norm
As per norm, participants in field events such as hammer throw, discus throw, javelin throw and shot putt get six attempts before being graded. However, in the jumping events, contestants are allowed to "pass" a certain height before they actually start competing.
"I think it would be interesting to try something different and limit the number of tries by the high jumpers. It would create a different game or a different strategy and a more level playing field for all," he added.
Fosbury, who is also President of the World Olympians Association, revolutionised the high jump event using a back-first technique.
Called the Fosbury Flop. the jumper sprints diagonally towards the bar, then leaps and curves backwards to clear the bar.
"When I was a boy I knew that I had to find a better and more efficient way in clearing the bar. It took me two years to develop the technique, but I never knew that so many would be following my style and after so many years," Fosbury stated.
"When I learnt high jump I used to practice the scissor style. It was easy but not very efficient. I needed to modify it and for this I just followed by intuition. So one day when I was jumping at a competition, I had to do something different. And so I tried lifting my hips to avoid hitting the bar my shoulders went back and I landed over it straight on my back," Fosbury recalled.
That revolution in style saw Fosbury pick up the high jump gold medal at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
"I just didn't realise that I was raising the bar. I just knew that for me personally it was working and I was slowly having success and I have imagined that it would take me to the Olympics, leave alone give me a gold medal," Fosbury said.
