At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon of the U.S. startled
the track world when he jumped 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Long jump records
usually fall by mere inches or centimeters, but Beamon's jump beat the
previous record by almost two full feet!
Beamon's jump still stands as an Olympic record, although Mike Powell set a
new world record at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo with a jump of 29
feet, 4 1/2 inches. Still, many consider Beamon's record-shattering leap in
1968 as the "jump of the century."
Return to stamp showing Beamon's jump
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