High jump requires a one-foot take-off under World Athletics rules. As the bar rises, each athlete follows a different sequence of attempts. Successes, failures and passes reveal how competitors manage effort and risk, and can help explain why an apparent tie does not always produce an equal placing.
A complete movement sequence
The curved approach commonly used in the Fosbury flop leads into a take-off that redirects motion upward. The body then adjusts around the bar. The familiar arch is only one part of that sequence. A misplaced take-off or disrupted approach can cause a miss even when the airborne position looks smooth.
Understanding the attempt record
Athletes with the same best clearance may be separated through the relevant countback rules. Passing can save effort, but it creates no successful height and may move pressure to a harder bar. Read the best clearance first, then the attempts at that height and earlier heights, using the official result for final confirmation.
Follow the score sheet alongside the action
Connect each symbol with the athlete's position at that moment. One competitor may skip an attempt while another seeks a secure clearance. Their highest successful height may eventually match, yet their routes to it can leave different ranking consequences. Keeping track throughout the competition makes those outcomes much easier to understand.
