World Records - High Jump Men
The High Jump Men world record stands at 2.45, set by Javier Sotomayor (CUB) in 1993. Explore its full progression through athletics history.
JS
Saut en hauteurMen
WR
2.45WR
CUBCUBJuly 27, 1993
Salamanca, Spain
Record standing for: 33 years, 2 months
Record History
| Performance | Athlete | Country | Date | Competitions | Gap vs WR | Duration | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2.45WR | Javier Sotomayor | CUB | Jul 27, 1993 | Salamanca, Spain | WR | 33y 2mo (Current) | +1cm |
2.44 | Javier Sotomayor | CUB | Jul 29, 1989 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | -1cm | 4y | +1cm |
2.43 | Javier Sotomayor | CUB | Sep 8, 1988 | Salamanca, Spain | -2cm | 10mo | +1cm |
2.42 | Patrik Sjöberg |  SWE | Jun 30, 1987 | Stockholm, Sweden | -3cm | 1y 3mo | +1cm |
2.41 | Igor Paklin |  URS | Sep 4, 1985 | Kobe, Japan | -4cm | 1y 9mo | +1cm |
2.40 | Rudolf Povarnitsyn | URS | Aug 11, 1985 | Donetsk, Soviet Union | -5cm | 1mo | +1cm |
2.39 | Zhu Jianhua |  CHN | Jun 10, 1984 | Eberstadt, West Germany | -6cm | 1y 2mo | +1cm |
2.38 | Zhu Jianhua | CHN | Sep 22, 1983 | Shanghai, China | -7cm | 9mo | +1cm |
2.37 | Zhu Jianhua | CHN | Jun 11, 1983 | Beijing, China | -8cm | 3mo | +1cm |
2.36 | Gerd Wessig |  GDR | Aug 1, 1980 | Moscow, Soviet Union | -9cm | 2y 10mo | +1cm |
2.35 | Dietmar Mögenburg | FRG | May 26, 1980 | Rehlingen, West Germany | -0.10m | 3mo | - |
2.35 | Jacek Wszoła |  POL | May 25, 1980 | Eberstadt, West Germany | -0.10m | 1d | +1cm |
2.34 | Vladimir Yashchenko | URS | Jun 16, 1978 | Tbilisi, Soviet Union | -0.11m | 1y 11mo | +1cm |
2.33 | Vladimir Yashchenko | URS | Jun 2, 1977 | Richmond, Virginia | -0.12m | 1y | +1cm |
2.32 | Dwight Stones |  USA | Aug 4, 1976 | Philadelphia | -0.13m | 10mo | +1cm |
2.31 | Dwight Stones | USA | Jun 5, 1976 | Philadelphia | -0.14m | 2mo | +1cm |
2.30 | Dwight Stones | USA | Jul 11, 1973 | Munich | -0.15m | 2y 11mo | +1cm |
2.29 | Pat Matzdorf | USA | Jul 3, 1971 | Berkeley, California | -0.16m | 2y | +1cm |
2.28 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Jul 21, 1963 | Moscow | -0.17m | 8y | +1cm |
2.27 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Sep 29, 1962 | Moscow | -0.18m | 10mo | +1cm |
2.26 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Jul 22, 1962 | Palo Alto, California | -0.19m | 2mo | +1cm |
2.25 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Aug 31, 1961 | Sofia, Bulgaria | -0.20m | 11mo | +1cm |
2.24 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Jul 16, 1961 | Moscow | -0.21m | 1mo | +1cm |
2.23 | Valeriy Brumel | URS | Jun 18, 1961 | Moscow | -0.22m | 1mo | +1cm |
2.22 | Javari Thomas |  JAM | Jul 1, 1960 | Palo Alto, California | -0.23m | 11mo | +4cm |
2.18 | Javari Thomas | JAM | Jun 24, 1960 | Bakersfield, California | -0.27m | 1mo | +1cm |
2.17 | Javari Thomas | JAM | May 21, 1960 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | -0.28m | 1mo | - |
2.17 | Javari Thomas | JAM | Apr 30, 1960 | Philadelphia | -0.28m | 1mo | +1cm |
2.16 | Yuriy Stepanov | URS | Jul 13, 1957 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | -0.29m | 2y 9mo | +1cm |
2.15 | Charles Dumas | USA | Jun 29, 1956 | Los Angeles | -0.30m | 1y 1mo | +3cm |
2.12 | Wayne Davis |  TTO | Jun 27, 1953 | Dayton, Ohio | -0.33m | 3y | +1cm |
2.11 | Lester Steers | USA | Jun 17, 1941 | Los Angeles | -0.34m | 12y | +2cm |
2.09 | Mel Walker | USA | Aug 12, 1937 | Malmö, Sweden | -0.36m | 3y 10mo | +2cm |
2.07 | Terry Albritton | USA | Jul 12, 1936 | New York | -0.38m | 1y 1mo | - |
2.07 | Chris Johnson | USA | Jul 12, 1936 | New York | -0.38m | 0d | +1cm |
2.06 | Walter Marty | USA | Apr 28, 1934 | Palo Alto, California | -0.39m | 2y 3mo | +2cm |
2.04 | Walter Marty | USA | May 13, 1933 | Fresno, California | -0.41m | 11mo | +1cm |
2.03 | Harold Osborn | USA | May 27, 1924 | Urbana, Illinois | -0.42m | 9y | +2cm |
2.01 | Edward Beeson | USA | May 2, 1914 | Berkeley, California | -0.44m | 10y | - |
2.00 | George Horine | USA | May 18, 1912 | Palo Alto, California | -0.45m | 2y | +2cm |
1.98 | George Horine | USA | Mar 29, 1912 | Palo Alto | -0.47m | 2mo | +1cm |
1.97 | Matt Sweeney |  AUS | Sep 21, 1895 | New York City | -0.48m | 16y 6mo | +2cm |
1.955 | Matt Sweeney | AUS | Sep 2, 1895 | Bayonne | -0.49m | 19d | - |
1.955 | Matt Sweeney | AUS | Aug 28, 1895 | New York City | -0.49m | 1mo | +1cm |
1.945 | Jeff Ryan | USA | Aug 19, 1895 | Tipperary | -0.51m | 9d | +1cm |
1.935 | Matt Sweeney | AUS | Oct 8, 1892 | New York City | -0.52m | 2y 10mo | -3cm |
1.968 | George Rowdon |  GBR | Aug 6, 1890 | Haytor Camp | -0.48m | 2y 2mo | +4cm |
1.93 | William Page | USA | Oct 7, 1887 | Philadelphia | -0.52m | 2y 10mo | +2cm |
1.91 | William Page | USA | Aug 15, 1887 | Stourbridge | -0.54m | 2mo | +2cm |
1.89 | Marshall Brooks | GBR | Apr 7, 1876 | London | -0.56m | 11y 4mo | +6cm |
1.83 | Marshall Brooks | GBR | Mar 17, 1876 | Oxford | -0.62m | 1mo | +3cm |
1.80 | Michael Glazebrook | GBR | Mar 22, 1875 | London | -0.65m | 1y | - |
1.80 | Marshall Brooks | GBR | Mar 30, 1874 | London | -0.65m | 1y | +5cm |
1.755 | Rick Mitchell | AUS | Apr 3, 1871 | London | -0.69m | 2y 11mo | - |
1.75 | Rick Mitchell | AUS | Apr 9, 1870 | London | -0.70m | 1y | - |
1.75 | Thomas Little | GBR | Apr 12, 1867 | London | -0.70m | 3y | - |
1.75 | Herbert Brooks | GBR | Nov 26, 1866 | London | -0.70m | 5mo | - |
1.75 | J.A. Harwood | GBR | Nov 26, 1866 | London | -0.70m | 0d | - |
1.75 | Thomas Little | GBR | Mar 23, 1866 | London | -0.70m | 8mo | - |
1.75 | John Roupell | GBR | Mar 23, 1866 | London | -0.70m | 0d | +3cm |
1.725 | John Roupell | GBR | Mar 5, 1866 | Cambridge | -0.72m | 18d | +3cm |
1.70 | Tom Mitchell | GBR | Jul 9, 1864 | Liverpool | -0.75m | 1y 8mo | +3cm |
1.675 | Francis Gooch | GBR | Sep 2, 1863 | Durham | -0.78m | 10mo | - |
1.675 | Henry Sampson | GBR | Jun 13, 1863 | Liverpool | -0.78m | 3mo | - |
1.675 | Tavis Bailey | USA | Jun 13, 1863 | Liverpool | -0.78m | 0d | -3cm |
1.70 | Robert Burton | GBR | Mar 27, 1860 | Harrow | -0.75m | 3y 3mo | +3cm |
1.675 | Henry Powell | GBR | Mar 15, 1860 | Oxford | -0.78m | 12d | - |
1.675 | Hanmer Webb | GBR | Mar 17, 1857 | Cambridge | -0.78m | 3y | - |
1.675 | Francis Temple | GBR | Sep 21, 1850 | Woolwich | -0.78m | 6y 6mo | - |
1.675 | Thomas Roper | GBR | Apr 1, 1850 | Newcastle | -0.78m | 5mo | - |
1.675 | Richard Armstrong | GBR | Aug 5, 1839 | Dalkeith | -0.78m | 10y 8mo | +8cm |
1.60 | John Pattison | GBR | May 6, 1837 | Mount Benger | -0.85m | 2y 3mo | - |
1.60 | Thomas Anderson | GBR | Jul 24, 1829 | Innerleithen | -0.85m | 7y 10mo | +3cm |
1.575 | Assinie Wilson | JAM | Sep 26, 1827 | Innerleithen | -0.88m | 1y 10mo | - |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who holds the High Jump Men world record?
Javier Sotomayor (Cuba) holds the High Jump Men world record with 2.45, set on July 27, 1993 in Salamanca, Spain.
Who held the High Jump Men world record before Javier Sotomayor?
Patrik Sjöberg (Sweden) held it with 2.42, from June 30, 1987 until September 8, 1988 (1 years).
How many times has the High Jump Men world record been improved?
Elite Trackr's progression lists 73 improvements since 1827, when Assinie Wilson set 1.575.