triple jump

athletics
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/sports/triple-jump
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/sports/triple-jump
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: hop, step, and jump
Also called:
hop, step, and jump
Related Topics:
athletics

triple jump, event in track and field (athletics) in which an athlete makes a horizontal jump for distance incorporating three distinct, continuous movements—a hop, in which the athlete takes off and lands on the same foot; a step, landing on the other foot; and a jump, landing in any manner, usually with both feet together. If a jumper touches ground with a wrong leg, the jump is disallowed. Other rules are similar to those of the long jump.

The world record holders are: for men, Jonathan Edwards of the United Kingdom, with a jump of 18.29 meters (60 feet) in 1995; for women, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet) in 2022.

Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.
Britannica Quiz
American Sports Nicknames

The origins of the triple jump are obscure, but it may be related to the ancient children’s game hopscotch. It has been a modern Olympic event since the first Games in 1896; at those Games two hops were used, but one hop was used at the Olympics thereafter. (The standing triple jump was contested only in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics.)

Equipment needed for the triple jump includes a runway and a takeoff board identical to those used in the long jump, except that the board is at least 13 meters (42.7 feet) from the landing area for men and 11 meters (36 feet) for women.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.