Want to know who holds the Women’s Long Jump World Record? Well, this article will discuss just that. A comprehensive list of top females who broke the set record and became legends in their own rights. Stick around, and you can find out more.
What Is Long Jump?
Before we even look at females who hold women’s long jump world records. Let us first get familiar with the very sport of the long jump and how it came to be one of the most prestigious Olympic events. Long Jump is a track and field event that tests speed, agility, and strength. Therefore, the athletes who compete in them have to be exceptionally gifted as an athlete. What is measured in these events is the distance an athlete covers horizontally after jumping. So athletes propel themselves to cover as much distance as possible. This can only be done if they first gain momentum by running or sprinting.
The overall history of the event dates back quite a while. The Original Olympics’s Pentathlon event of ancient Greece hosted Long Jump events. The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were more of training runs for warfare. The long jump is believed to be the training for crossing obstacles. However, things have changed since that time.
Unlike the modern-day long jump events, athletes in Ancient Greece were not allowed to take a long running start. Instead, historians believe that athletes carried weight in each hand that was used as a means of momentum in order to propel themselves forward. But now, athletes use running start as a means to gain momentum and propel themselves.
The history of the long jump is so ingrained in Greek culture that historians found Greek vases depicting images of athletes performing the long jump. This shows that the sport was one of the most popular sports in ancient Greece. Otherwise, there is no point for an artist to represent the image of a person long jumping.
Top Females Who Broke The Women’s Long Jump World Record
The Olympic Games of the older times were not at all inclusive for females. This means only males were allowed to take part in these games, and not females. Thankfully, the narrative shifted. And now, the gender of an athlete does not matter as long as he or she can perform according to the requirements. So today, let us look at some of the females who hold the Women’s Long Jump World Record. Before I start off with my list, I want to clarify that all the names listed here are not listed in a rank-wise manner. So, keeping that in mind, let us proceed.
Galina Christyakova
Currently, she holds the world record for the long jump for females. The record stands at 7.52 meters or 24 feet and 8 inches. Back in 1988, she won the Olympic bronze medal in the long jump. Apart from that, she also won at least eight long jump events internationally and is one of the most celebrated athletes in the long jump. She might not have the Olympic accolades like the other athletes on this list. But she certainly holds the record for the longest jump of all time. Her 7.52-meter leap in Leningrad, Russia, is still one of the farthest jumps of all time.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
The second-longest female to have the record of jumping the farthest is Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The record-holding jump that Kersee made was around 7.49 meters or 24 feet and 7 inches. Even though she is the second one to make it to the list, she is a three-time medal winner in Olympic events. Apart from being one of the top female long jumpers, she is also a heptathlon athlete who won two golds and a silver medal in the event. The very concept of heptathlon is that it consists of seven different track and field events. In fact, she is the first woman to ever hold the record for most points ever scored in a heptathlon event.
Heike Dreschler
Coming up third on the list is none other than Heike Dreschler. Her longest jump as of now clocks at 7.48 meters or 24 feet and 6 inches. This is still the third-highest long jump record held by a female. Apart from being an Olympic silver medalist, she is also the winner of at least 21 international wins across the globe. This speaks volumes about this German athlete’s prowess. Like Kersee, Dreschler is also a great sprinter and even won accolades for it. Heike Dreschler is seen as one of the most decorated female jumpers of all time because of her several international wins. Out of 21 international wins, at least 11 are gold medals.
Anispara Cusmir
The fourth person to bless our list of Women’s Long Jump World Record is Anisoara Cusmir. Her longest-ever recorded jump was about 7.43 meters or 24 feet 4 inches. She won a gold in the 1984 Olympics. She has one of the shortest careers of all the athletes I have career. But in that short span of time, Cusmir managed to capture the hearts and minds of the fans. In the short span of just a year, Cusmir managed to set as well as reset the world record for the long jump at least four times before landing her final best. Even though she had one of the most decorated careers waiting for her, she suddenly decided to retire and become a coach.
End Note
So there you have it. All the top females who hold Women’s Long Jump World Records. However, there are other females that did not make the list. So, this list must not be treated as the most extensive list ever. If you have any suggestions or want to know more about specific sports, do let us know.
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