Who broke the world long jump record by 55 cm when winning the Olympic Gold medal in 1968?
Men's long jump world record progression Men's long jump world record progression The men's long jump world record progression lists records ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) starting in 1912. The inaugural record was the 7.61 m performance by Peter O'Connor in 1901. The IAAF considers marks set at high altitude as acceptable for record consideration. However, high altitude can significantly assist long jump performances. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm (21¾ in.), and his world record of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2½ in.) stood until Mike Powell jumped
Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's long jump a number of advantageous environmental factors. At an altitude of 2240 m, Mexico City's air had less resistance than air at sea level, although the rarefied atmosphere in Mexico City would have made a difference of only approximately 4 cm. Beamon also benefited from a tail wind of 2 meters per second on his jump, the maximum allowable for record purposes. It has been estimated that the tail wind and altitude may have improved Beamon's long jump distance by 31 cm (12.2 in.). After winning the gold medal in Mexico City, he never again jumped over 8.22 m (26 ft.