Rider's legends: Bob Beamon

Bob Beamon's achievement is still celebrated

BBC Olympics presenter Steve Rider highlights some of the great Olympians from the pages of history.

In the pursuit of progress and perfection once seemingly insurmountable barriers have been broken by athletes striving to win a place in history.

With runners regularly breaking 10 seconds for the 100 metres and four minutes for the mile it is strange now to think that these marks were once seen as unreachable as man getting to the moon.

During the 1960s the big players in the long jump were vying to be the first man to crack 28 feet.

Come the Olympics in 1968 that barrier was to fall in a quite extraordinary way.

The picture that told an extraordinary story

The 23-year-old New Yorker Bob Beamon was one of the favourites to win gold in Mexico City but what he achieved on the day of the final is something that is revered with an awe virtually unmatched even in the grand scheme of Olympic feats.

Landing

On his first jump in the high altitude of Mexico City, Beamon tore down the runway and launched himself high into the air, landing further down the sandpit than even the measuring rail had generously allowed for.

Beamon knew he had jumped long but because the measurement was first read out in metric it took a while for the impact of what he had achieved to hit home.

Beamon's 8.90 jump translated into a leap that not only broke 28ft but 29ft as well. He had added 21-and three-quarter inches to the record.

To put it further in perspective, It was another 12 years before even 28ft was broken again.

"It was an incredible surprise," said Beamon. "As a matter of fact we never thought the record would pass 27ft 10 or 8.4m but I like surprises."

Of course, with the rest of the field demoralised, the gold was ensured as was the record for 23 years until Michael Powell went further.

Pride

But Beamon's Olympic mark still stands - and is in fact the oldest Games record in tact - which is something that still fills him with pride.

It was an incredible surprise...but I like surprises

  Bob Beamon

"I enjoyed and still enjoy every moment of being an athlete that participated in an Olympic Games and brought home a gold," he said.

"My enjoyment is watching everyone trying to beat my Olympic record which has stood for 32 years and I get excited about that every four years."

Whether it was the altitude, the maximum legal wind allowance or an athlete at the peak of his ability, the jump was a freak. Beamon never jumped further than 27 feet again.

But his moment of glory has served him well beyond giving him a legendary fame.

"It has allowed me to open up my mind and say `if you set your mind to a goal you can most likely reach that goal if you work very hard'.

"I have used that same kind of behaviour for other goals that I shoot for. So it has probably made me more stronger as an individual."