Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump The men's high jump field event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 9 & 10. The top jumper of the previous year, world record holder and winner of the Pan American Games, was Pat Matzdorf from the United States. But in a surprise, he failed to make the US team, leaving the field wide open. Jüri Tarmak was the last man to win Olympic gold medal using the straddle technique. The more popular and more widely used Fosbury Flop technique was the most common technique used. Top
Straddle technique jumper crosses the bar face down, with legs straddling it. With this clearance position, the straddle has a mechanical advantage over the western roll, since it is possible to clear a bar that is higher relative to the jumper's center of mass. In simple terms, the western roll jumper has to raise the width of the body above the bar; the straddle jumper has only to get the thickness of the body above it. There are two variants of the straddle: the parallel straddle and a more diving version. With the parallel straddle, the lead leg is kicked high and