Photo: Chell Hill—CC BY-SA 3.0
Bob Beamon
- Born
- Aug 29, 1946 (80 years old)
- Birthplace
- Jamaica, United States
- Events
- Long Jump
- Height
- 1.91 m
- Weight
- 70 kg
Robert Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, born on August 29, 1946. He is best known for his legendary long jump at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, a performance widely regarded as one of the greatest single athletic feats in history.
At the 1968 Olympics, Beamon leaped an astonishing 8.90 metres (29 ft 2 1/4 in), shattering the existing world record by an unprecedented margin of 55 centimetres. His world record stood for nearly 23 years until Mike Powell surpassed it in 1991.
Beamon's Mexico City jump remains the Olympic record and stands as the second-longest long jump in history without wind assistance. His single moment of perfection at altitude in the thin air of Mexico City transcended the sport and became a cultural touchstone for athletic greatness.
As of Oct 27, 2026: Long Jump 8.90 (#2 all-time), 1974 season best 7.79 (Feb 15, 1974) · Olympic Games: 1 gold · 80 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | – | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | LJ Indoor | 7.79 | – | Feb 15, 1974 | Uniondale, NY (USA) (i) |
| 1974 | LJ | 7.79 | – | Feb 15, 1974 | – |
| 1973 | LJ Indoor | 8.16 | – | May 25, 1973 | Salt Lake City, UT (USA) (i) |
| 1973 | LJ | 8.16 | – | May 25, 1973 | – |
| 1972 | LJ | 7.77 | – | Mar 14, 1972 | Los Angeles, CA (USA) |
| 1969 | LJ | 8.20 | +0.6 | Jun 28, 1969 | – |
| 1968 | LJ | 8.90 | +2.0 | Oct 18, 1968 | Estadio Olímpico, Ciudad de México (MEX) |
| 1967 | LJ | 7.93 | – | Aug 12, 1967 | – |