High Jump, Men

Based on recent results, the favorite was definitely George Horine of the United States, although there were several top American jumpers. Horine had set a world record on 29 March 1912, clearing 1.985 (6-6 1/8) at Stanford to break Mike Sweeney’s record of 1.97 (6-5 5/8) which had stood since 1895. And at the western Olympic Trial, held on 18 May, he set another world record, clearing 6-7, the first person to jump two metres (6-7 = 2.007). Horine was a pioneer of a new high jumping style, which later became termed the Western Roll, somewhat similar to the straddle roll, the standard jumping style until Dick Fosbury pioneered the Fosbury flop. The other top Americans were Egon Erickson, who had won the AAU title in 1909 and the eastern Olympic Trial in 1912, and Alma Richards, who had recently won the central Olympic Trial.

The competition initially went about as expected, with Horine, Richards and Erickson lasting until the final five jumpers, joined by Germany’s Hans Liesche, and Jim Thorpe. Erickson and Thorpe went out first, failing to clear 1.89 metres. At 1.91, Liesche cleared on his second attempt, Richards on his last attempt, and Horine failed, leaving him with the bronze medal. When the bar was raised to 1.93 (6-4), Richards cleared easily on his first attempt. David Wallechinsky, in his The Complete Book of the Olympics, has described the problems that then ensued for Liesche, “Liesche was completely unnerved. He failed twice. Then, just as he had composed himself for his final attempt, a gun went off to signal the start of a race. Liesche waited for the race to end and then composed himself once more. This time the band began to play. After nine minutes, a Swedish official approached him and asked him to hurry up. This was the final blow. Liesche ran at the bar, but missed completely.” In the final results, other than Liesche, Americans took 6 of the top 7 places.