Highest Vertical Jump Ever In NBA, NFL And Track & Field

High Jump World Record in Track and Field

The world record holder for the high jump is Javier Sotomayor who is the only human ever to clear 8ft with a jump height of 2.45m (8ft 1/4in) in 1993.

Jumping over a bar at 96 inches is certainly impressive! But, how does it compare to a vertical jump in a basketball game?

Compared to a dunk, the high jump relies much more on technique. You need to jump high, and you also need to have great timing and body control to cross the bar at the exact peak of the jump. In addition, the Fosbury Flop technique helps athlete clear a bar even though their center of gravity is actually lower than the bar. This is achieved by arching the back and kicking the legs once the bar is crossed.

If we assume Sotomayor’s center of gravity is at 1.10m (he is 1.95m tall and has very long legs) and he can clear the bar with his center of gravity 10cm below the bar, he would still have a vertical jump of 1.25m or 49 inches.

High Jump 2.45 world record - Javier Sotomayor

Highest box jump

Sometimes you hear guys tell about crazy vertical jump heights exceeding 60 inches or more. Once you dig a bit deeper it always turns out not to be a regular vertical jump test but something called “a box jump.”

The box jump is a very popular vertical jump exercise in which the athlete tries to jump on top of a box either from a standstill or with a run-up. The way to reach dizzy heights here is not only to jump high, but also to be able to tuck your legs as high as possible at the end of the jump to make the top of the box.

This way, vertical jump heights far exceeding regular vertical jump test results are possible. Check out this 73" running box jump world record by Jordan Kilganon:

6'1 Jordan Kilganon Breaks Running Box Jump Record! 73 Inches!

As you can see, there are many athletes from different sports out there possessing incredible vertical jumps. And, I am sure I missed a ton. But, one thing is for sure: the vertical jump is one of the most useful athletic tools available and will help in almost any sport you can imagine from basketball, volleyball to football and even soccer.

You want to increase your athleticism and vertical jump too?

Make sure to get your copy of this FREE Vert Shock ebook: