Straddle technique

in 1978. That was improved upon in 1980 by a flopper, Jacek Wszola of Poland and so the era of the straddle came to a close.

In the women's high jump the development was different. Iolanda Balaş was the dominant jumper from 1957 to 1967, but she used a variant of the scissors technique. Her final world record of convert|1.91|m|ft stood for ten years and was broken in 1971 by Ilona Gusenbauer, a straddle jumper. That record was equalled in 1972 by Ulrike Meyfarth using the flop, but the next series of records were set by jumpers using the straddle technique, ending with the first jump over convert|2.00|m|ft by Rosemarie Ackermann-Witchas in 1977. The year after Sara Simeoni jumped convert|2.01|m|ft using the flop.

The straddle jumpers had to land in a sand pit. Only when the safer foam mattresses came into use could the flop develop. There is some debate over which of the two techniques is more efficient in clearing of the bar. Although both have advantages and disadvantages, the Fosbury flop is considered by many easier to learn, especially for children, and thus has become the dominant technique.