The high jump took place on the first day of competition, July 30, 1948, and John Winter, a 23-year-old bank clerk from Perth, cleared a height of on his first attempt. The remaining four jumpers, including Eddleman, failed three times each to match Winter. For the first time in the Olympics, ties were decided according to fewer misses. The winning height was 6 feet 6 inches (1.98m). The second-, third-, and fourth-place jumpers all cleared . Eddleman was awarded fourth place due to his number of misses. After the Games, Eddleman competed in an additional track and field meet in Glasgow, Scotland, winning the high jump at a personal-best height of . He then returned to the United States on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, arriving in Centralia by train to a citywide celebration. Less than a week later, he was practicing football in Memorial Stadium.