A Brief History of Jumping Events

The long jump has, fittingly, the longest history of the jumping events, dating to the ancient Greek Olympics. The pole vault evolved in the Netherlands, where many people used long poles to help leap natural obstacles including streams, canals and marshes.

All four jumping events, the long jump, high jump, triple jump and pole vault, were part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The women’s high jump was introduced in 1928 – the first year women competed in the Olympics – followed by the long jump in 1948, the triple jump in 1996 and the pole vault in 2000.