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all-TiMe TraCk Medals usa 307 225 181 713 ussr 71 66 77 214 g. britain 48 75 62 185 High jump e. germany 38 42 36 116 ThUrsday, aUg. 21, 2008 | 14 th of 17 The oBject Today’s TV olyMpiC debut: 1896 The high jump is a highlighTs The high jump has been a part of field event in which 8 a.m.: Women’s the track and field competition at soccer gold- athletes try to medal match; the modern olympics since the women’s beach jump over and clear volleyball original athens games. a horizontal bar from a gold-medal match (taped), running start. Telemundo 10 a.m.: Men’s CoMpeTiTioN forMaT open-water Contestants are split into two marathon preliminary pools in which they take swimming; turns attempting to clear the bar at women’s water any height each individual chooses. polo gold- if an athlete registers a clean jump, medal match; the bar is raised for her next attempt. equestrian: an athlete stays in the preliminary individual competition until three consecutive jumping final; failed attempts or they achieve rhythmic an automatic qualifying height (a gymnastics relative rarity). The top 12 from the (taped), NBC preliminaries advance to the final, where they take turns attempting to 2 p.m.: Men’s clear (or choosing to pass) steadily freestyle increasing heights. an athlete is wrestling gold- eliminated after failing three jumps in a medal matches: The gear row. The winner is the jumper to clear 84kg, 96kg, the highest crossbar. 120kg (taped), high jumpers wear form-fitting clothes CNBC to prevent the uniform from contacting along with the individual competition, the high jump is a discipline for women 8 p.m.: Men’s the crossbar. jumpers often wear mismatched shoes: a cleated sole on the competing in the heptathlon and men beach volleyball in the decathlon. gold-medal take-off foot and a smooth-soled running match; track shoe on the other. & field: men’s Many athletes practice on trampolines to help their The piT 400m final, dexterity when falling. With elite male athletes approaching men’s 110m heights of 8 feet, a graceful falling technique is important. The jumping landing area, which hurdles final, used to be a sand trap when women’s 200m final (live), NBC The TeChNiqUe athletes would leap face-first in the long history of the high jump as an olympic event, the technique for over the crossbar, is now made of 9 p.m.: Baseball clearing the bar has been steadily modified and improved.o ne obsolete method semifinal (taped), is the “western roll,” in which athletes attempted jumps face-down and nearly two pads that, stacked, are 2 feet CNBC parallel with the crossbar. Until the late 1960s, the “scissor jump” was also 6 inches thick. The cross bar is 13 11 p.m.: Boxing: popular. jumpers would clear the bar one leg at a time, as if a high hurdle. The flyweight, “fosbury flop,” popularized bya merican gold-medalist dick fosbury, has been feet 2 wide and can be adjusted featherweight, used to set every high jump world record since 1978 and is now the standard. to various heights. light welterweight, middleweight, 19 feet 10 inches heavyweight semifinals (taped), CNBC 11 p.m.: Men’s basketball approach takeoff Clearance semifinals; men’s water jumper pushes off the takeoff leg, Back is arched and polo semifinals; accelerates along a raising the body upward with the head is dropped, flatwater canoe curved path toward the head leading the torso enabling hips to rise finals; track & the crossbar. over the crossbar. over the bar. 13 feet 2 inches field: 50km walk; table tennis (live), russia’s yelena slesarenko won Chaunte Howard was top finisher in USA Network oNe To Watch women’s high jump gold in athens U.s. hopefUl women’s high jump at olympic trials soUrCes: The sporTs Book, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, www.nbcolyMpiCs.CoM aNd eN.BeijiNg2008.cn | Image Based oN phoTo By THOMAS BOYD/The OREGONIAN © 2008, The oregoNiaN publishiNg CoMpaNy | By qUentiN lUeNiNghoeNer.

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