That's all it took for Bob Beamon to leap ... the farthest long jump had been 27 feet, 4¾ inches, by Ter-Ovanesyan and Ralph Boston. Jesse Owens had set a record of 26-8¼ in 1935 that had ...

In terms of sheer sporting achievement, however, few if any feats can compare with the record-shattering leap that won American Bob Beamon the long jump gold medal in Mexico City in 1968.

The evolution of the long jump world record tells a story of athletic achievement ... At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon stunned the sporting world with an almost superhuman jump.