Bob Beamon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Robert Beamon was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, to Naomi Brown Beamon and grew up in the New York Housing Authority's Jamaica Houses. When Beamon was eleven months old, his mother died from tuberculosis, and, as a result of his stepfather's incarceration, he was placed into the care of his maternal grandmother, Bessie. While attending Jamaica High School, track coach Larry Ellis discovered him, and Beamon later became part of the All-American track and field team. He began his college career at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to be close to his ill grandmother, then transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso after her death. In 1965, Beamon set a national high school triple jump record and was second in the long jump. In 1967, he won the AAU indoor title and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games, both in the long jump. Beamon along with eleven other Black athletes were dropped from the University of Texas at El Paso track and field team the week following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. for participating in a boycott of competition with Brigham Young University. Despite losing his athletic scholarship, Beamon returned to UTEP to continue his studies after the Mexico City Olympics. Fellow Olympian Ralph Boston became his unofficial coach. At the 1968 Olympics, Beamon entered as the favorite, having won 22 of 23 meets that year. He nearly missed the final after overstepping on his first two qualifying attempts, but re-measured his approach and advanced. On October 18, his first jump of 8.90 m shattered the world record by 55 cm. Unfamiliar with metric measurements, he did not realize what he had done until told by Ralph Boston; he then suffered a brief cataplexy attack and collapsed. The defending champion Lynn Davies told Beamon, 'You have destroyed this event.' The term 'Beamonesque' came into use to describe spectacular feats.

Reader's Guide

Bob Beamon's 8.90 m long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics is one of the most iconic moments in sports history. Before his jump, the world record had been broken thirteen times since 1901, with an average increase of 6 cm and the largest increase being 15 cm. Beamon's jump exceeded the previous record by 55 cm, a leap so extraordinary that it was considered unbeatable for years. It took 12 years for another human to jump 28 feet, and his record stood for 23 years until Mike Powell jumped 8.95 m in 1991. Beamon's jump remains the Olympic record and, 57 years later, the second-longest wind-legal jump in history. The jump's impact extended beyond athletics, coining the term 'Beamonesque' to describe any spectacular achievement. Beamon's later life included being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 1969 NBA draft (though he never played), graduating from Adelphi University with a degree in sociology, coaching at U.S. International University, and working to promote youth athleticism. He is also a graphic artist and a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics International. His legacy is defined by a single, transcendent moment that redefined the limits of human performance.

Did You Know?

• Beamon broke the world record by 55 cm (21+3⁄4 in), the largest increase since records began in 1901.
• He suffered a brief cataplexy attack and collapsed after learning he had broken the record by nearly two feet.
• Beamon was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 15th round of the 1969 NBA draft but never played in an NBA game.
• He was one of twelve Black athletes dropped from UTEP's track team for boycotting a meet due to racist policies.
• Beamon's jump remains the Olympic record and the second-longest wind-legal jump in history, 57 years later.