| |
Bob Beamon Biography |
Robert "Bob" Beamon (born August 29, 1946) is an American track and field athlete, best known for his long-standing world record in the long jump.
Beamon, from Jamaica, New York, set a world record for the long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City with a jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2 1/2 in.). His world record stood for 23 years, and was named by Sports Illustrated magazine as one of the five greatest sports moments of the 20th century.
Prior to Beamon�s jump, the world record had been broken 13 times since 1901, with an average increase of 0.06 m and the largest increase being 0.15 m. Beamon�s gold medal mark bettered the existing record by 0.55 m (21 3/4 in.) as he became the first person to reach both 28 and 29 feet.
The defending Olympic champion, Lynn Davies of England, told Beamon, �You have destroyed this event�, and in track and field jargon, a new adjective, �Beamonesque� came into use to describe spectacular feats. Beamon�s record was broken in 1991 when Mike Powell jumped 8.95 m at the World Championships in Tokyo. |
| |
| Bob Beamon Resources |
| |
|
|
|
