Straddle technique flop is considered by many easier to learn, especially for younger jumpers, and thus has become the dominant technique. In 1993, an American high jumper Steve Harkins brought back the straddle style in the Master's division to break the Master's World Record and then went on to win the World's, beating a 'flopper' at the World Championships in Miyazaki Japan. Harkins used the 'head down first' style as did Brumel. At 6 '7" at the U.S. National Championships in Bozeman, Montana; in March 1993, Harkins was the highest jumper ever in the Master's to have used the straddle style. Straddle
High jump event was won by Cornelius Johnson at . American and Soviet jumpers were the most successful for the next four decades, and they pioneered the evolution of the straddle technique. Straddle jumpers took off as in the Western roll, but rotated their (belly-down) torso around the bar, obtaining the most efficient and highest clearance (of the bar) up to that time. Straddle-jumper, Charles Dumas, was the first to clear 7 feet (2.13 m), in 1956, and American John Thomas pushed the world mark to in 1960. Valeriy Brumel took over the event for the next four years. The elegant Soviet