Bob Beamon only ever won one Olympic medal, but the manner in which he did it meant his name would be remembered forever.
Competing in his first Olympics, the American shattered the world record for long jump with a leap of 8.90m, bettering the record by an incredible 55cm. Prior to Beamon’s jump, the world record had been broken 13 times since 1901, with an average increase of 6cm and the largest increase being 15cm.
Beamon's record stood for 23 years until Mike Powell broke it in 1991.
"You’ve destroyed this event," Lynn Davies, the defending champion, said of Beamon’s winning jump in his only Olympic appearance.
In sports jargon, a new adjective - 'Beamonesque' - came into use to describe spectacular feats. After winning the gold medal in Mexico City, Beamon never again jumped over 8.22m.
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