The men's high jump, also known as the ''running high jump'' to distinguish it from the standing high jump, was a

track and field athletics Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

event held as part of the

Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics These are the results of athletics competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics. 30 events were contested, all for men only. The athletics programme grew by 4 events since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 5000 and 10000 metre races were introduced, as ...

programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 7, 1912, and on July 8, 1912. Thirty-seven high jumpers from ten nations competed.Per Wudarski. Other sources omit Tage Brauer, for 36 athletes. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.Official report, p. 61. The event was won by

Alma Richards Alma Wilford Richards (February 20, 1890 – April 3, 1963) was an American athlete. He was the first resident of Utah to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, in 1912, in the running high jump event. Jumping Born in Parowan, Utah, Alma Richa ...

of the United States, the nation's fifth consecutive victory in the men's high jump. Germany won its second silver medal in the event, after 1904.

Background

This was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Returning jumpers from the 1908 Games were silver medalist Géo André of France and Otto Monsen of Norway, who had refused to participate in a re-jump after a successful protest and therefore had no mark in 1908. The Americans were favored, with recent world record breaker

George Horine George Leslie Horine (February 3, 1890 – November 28, 1948) was an American athlete who mainly competed in the high jump. He is credited with developing a technique called a forerunner to the western roll, a technique he developed due to the ...

atop a strong (and, as allowed at the time, ''large'') team. Egon Erickson and

were also strong contenders; the three men had each won one of the three regional Olympic trials.

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Nativ ...

was among the Americans; he won the pentathlon (which did not include a high jump) on the same day as the qualifying round and the decathlon (which did) a week later. Chile and Italy each made their debut in the event. The United States appeared for the fifth time, having competed at each edition of the Olympic men's high jump to that point.

Competition format

For the first time, there were two distinct rounds of jumping with results cleared between rounds (the 1908 Games had featured a two-round event but the results from the qualifying round then carried over to the final). All jumpers clearing 1.83 metres in the qualifying round advanced to the final.Official Report, p. 392.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics. At first

Hans Liesche Hans Liesche (October 11, 1891 – March 30, 1979) was a German athlete, who competed mainly in the high jump. He was born in Hamburg and died in Berlin. Liesche competed for Germany in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden i ...

set a new Olympic record with 1.91 metres. But

was able to equalize this mark, when he also jumped 1.91 metres. Finally

set a new Olympic record with 1.93 metres.

Schedule

Results

Qualifying

Brauer is listed in some sources as having competed and having cleared 1.60 metres (which would put him in the tie for 28th), but other sources make clear he did not start.

Final

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's High Jump Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics High jump at the Olympics