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2 for the Gold Olympics challenge: How high can Cayden and Big Al jump?

Posted at 3:32 PM, Aug 07, 2012
and last updated 2016-07-29 13:11:17-04

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Aug. 7, 2012.

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TULSA - The sport of high jump changed forever back in 1968.

That's when Dick Fosbury came up with the jump that bears his name - the Fosbury Flop.

The Fosbury Flop is how the jumpers attempt the event today, directing himself over the bar head and shoulders first, arching his back and sliding over.

Fosbury won the Gold medal in the '68 Games with this technique, and it's been the jump of choice ever since.

So, that begs the question, can the big man and I pull it off?

2016 RIO OLYMPICS COVERAGE

With the help of Coach Joe Dial of Oral Roberts University we gave it our best Olympian effort.

Big Al went first, and well, let's just say there was too much flop and not enough Fosbury. He didn't come close to clearing the bar.

At three and a half feet, I easily jumped over the bar. And with that clearance, Big Al conceded right then and there that I was the better high jumper. But I kept going.

My next attempt was four and a half feet, and after two misses, I finally cleared the bar on my third try.

Cuba's Javier Sotomayor holds the world record with a jump of 2.45 meters, or just a hair over 8 feet, which he set back in 1993.

Neither one of us came close to threatening Sotomayor's record.

Check out the video in the player above to see how the guys did.

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