World Athletics is gearing up for a potential game-changer in the long jump discipline, with plans to replace the take-off board with a take-off zone starting at lower level competitions this season.
But what will this mean for the event in the future?
Looking back
Long jump is one of the oldest track and field events. According to World Athletics, long jump's origins can be traced to the Olympics in Ancient Greece. During this time, athletes carried weights in each hand, which they swung forward on take-off and released in the middle of the jump in order to increase momentum.
Long jump has been a part of the Olympics (as we know it) since the first games in 1896, and the women's event was introduced at the 1948 Games.
The issue
Traditionally, athletes have had to rely on a 40m track runway, complete with a 20cm take-off board, before propelling themselves into the sandpit. The recorded distance is measured from the take-off board to the point in the sand where the athlete first touches down. The person with the longest jump is declared the winner.
However, a recent study from the World Championships in Budapest shed light on a significant issue: one third of all the jumps were no-jumps (athletes stepping over the front of the take-off board).
Finding a solution
To address this, World Athletics is considering replacing the take-off board with a take-off zone, where jumps would be measured from the front of the athlete's take-off foot within a designated area (and not behind a board as currently done).
The CEO of World Athletics Jon Ridgeon explained the plan when speaking on the Anything But Footy podcast, saying: "At the World Championships in Budapest last summer, a third of all the jumps were no-jumps, athletes stepping over the front of the take-off board."
"That doesn't work, that's a waste of time. We're testing, for example, at the moment a 'take-off zone' rather than a take-off board, so we measure from where the athlete takes off to where they land in the pit."
World Athletics are considering a radical change to long jump https://t.co/RjLE1A8eGy via @MailSport pic.twitter.com/fH8fzFU7yE
— PJ Vazel (@pjvazel) February 20, 2024
"That means every single jump counts, it adds to the jeopardy of the competition and the drama of the competition.
"At the same time we're working out ways of how we can get instant results, so you don't have to wait 20 or 30 seconds before the result pops up, we get it instantly and just how we speed up the competition."
Ridgeon highlighted the potential benefits of this change but also acknowledged potential resistance from athletes accustomed to the traditional setup.
"We're also going to spend this year testing it in real-life circumstances with very good athletes, and if it doesn't pass testing we'll never introduce it," Ridgeon said.
"If you've dedicated your life to hitting that take-off board perfectly then suddenly we replace it with a take-off zone, I totally get that there might be initial resistance but, as I said, as long as it's based on good testing and good data I think eventually it'll work through.
"But it will not be without its controversy, you cannot make change in a sport that was basically invented 150 years ago without some controversy."
Here are just a few of the reactions from past & present jumpers after World Athletics made the announcement to trial a new take-off zone in the long jump!
Maybe you should listen to the athletes for a change @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/ERTYEI1YMl— Owen M (@_OwenM_) February 20, 2024
The proposed trial has sparked mixed reactions from athletes, with numerous long jump athletes expressing their concerns on social media. World long jump champion Ivana Španović and 2016 world indoor long champion Marquis Dendy expressed confusion about World Athletics proposal on their personal social accounts. Legendary long jump Olympian Carl Lewis also weighed in on 'X', suggesting that while the method might not drastically alter distances, it could lead to more jumps being measured.
Actually, it wouldn't change the distances that much. You would just see more bad jumps measured. https://t.co/PlJlJK9TNm
— Carl Lewis (@Carl_Lewis) February 20, 2024
Looking ahead
According to BBC Sport, a World Athletics spokesperson said: "We are running tests with take-off zones in multiple locations and across several training groups. The testing will continue throughout the outdoor season."
If the trials prove successful, the take-off zone could be implemented in elite competitions as early as 2026, meaning that it could be potentially be included in the LA 2028 Olympics.
Additionally, World Athletics is considering a special televised three-night event in 2026, when there are no Olympics or World Championships.
In just a few years, long jump as we know it, may not be the same ever again.
