Men · World record

High Jump

The current record and its documented progression: 40 ratified records from 1912 to 1993, with 1 rescinded shown in place, plus 37 earlier marks recorded before the IAAF began ratifying records.

Current record

2.45

Javier SotomayorCUBSalamanca · 27 Jul 1993

33 years standing0.01 m improvementAll-time top 50 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1912 · 2.00 George Horine1914 · 2.01 Edward Beeson1924 · 2.03 Harold Osborn1933 · 2.04 Walter Marty1934 · 2.06 Walter Marty1936 · 2.07 Cornelius Johnson1936 · 2.07 Dave Albritton1937 · 2.09 Mel Walker1941 · 2.11 Lester Steers1953 · 2.12 Walt Davis1956 · 2.15 Charles Dumas1957 · 2.16 Yuriy Stepanov1960 · 2.17 John Thomas1960 · 2.17 John Thomas1960 · 2.18 John Thomas1960 · 2.22 John Thomas1961 · 2.23 Valeriy Brumel1961 · 2.24 Valeriy Brumel1961 · 2.25 Valeriy Brumel1962 · 2.26 Valeriy Brumel1962 · 2.27 Valeriy Brumel1963 · 2.28 Valeriy Brumel1971 · 2.29 Pat Matzdorf1973 · 2.30 Dwight Stones1976 · 2.31 Dwight Stones1976 · 2.32 Dwight Stones1977 · 2.33 Vladimir Yashchenko1978 · 2.34 Vladimir Yashchenko1980 · 2.35 Jacek Wszoła1980 · 2.35 Dietmar Mögenburg1980 · 2.36 Gerd Wessig1983 · 2.37 Zhu Jianhua1983 · 2.38 Zhu Jianhua1984 · 2.39 Zhu Jianhua1985 · 2.40 Rudolf Povarnitsyn1985 · 2.41 Igor Paklin1987 · 2.42 Patrik Sjöberg1988 · 2.42 Carlo Thränhardt (Rescinded)1988 · 2.43 Javier Sotomayor1989 · 2.44 Javier Sotomayor1993 · 2.45 Javier Sotomayor 2.4502.000

19121956 · Dumas 2.151962 · Brumel 2.271980 · Wessig 2.361993 · Sotomayor 2.45

Documented records

40 ratified · 1 rescinded · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372027311, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
2.45 Javier Sotomayor CUB Salamanca, Spain 27 Jul 1993 33 yrs
2.44 Javier Sotomayor CUB San Juan, Puerto Rico 29 Jul 1989 3 yrs
2.43 Javier Sotomayor CUB Salamanca, Spain 8 Sep 1988 324 d
2.42 Carlo Thränhardt RescindedThis indoor record was also accepted as a world record. However, in 1991 it was rescinded as a world record due to complaints that the flexible parquet flooring gave athletes an unfair advantage. FRG West Berlin 26 Feb 1988
2.42 Patrik Sjöberg SWE Stockholm, Sweden 30 Jun 1987 1 yr
2.41 Igor Paklin URS Kobe, Japan 4 Sep 1985 1 yr
2.40 Rudolf Povarnitsyn URS Donetsk, Soviet Union 11 Aug 1985 24 d
2.39 Zhu Jianhua CHN Eberstadt, West Germany 10 Jun 1984 1 yr
2.38 Zhu Jianhua CHN Shanghai, China 22 Sep 1983 262 d
2.37 Zhu Jianhua CHN Beijing, China 11 Jun 1983 103 d
2.36 Gerd Wessig GDR Moscow, Soviet Union 1 Aug 1980 2 yrs
2.35 Dietmar Mögenburg FRG Rehlingen, West Germany 26 May 1980 67 d
2.35 Jacek Wszoła POL Eberstadt, West Germany 25 May 1980 1 d
2.34 Vladimir Yashchenko URS Tbilisi, Soviet Union 16 Jun 1978 1 yr
2.33 Vladimir Yashchenko URS Richmond, Virginia 2 Jun 1977 1 yr
2.32 Dwight Stones USA Philadelphia 4 Aug 1976 302 d
2.31 Dwight Stones USA Philadelphia 5 Jun 1976 60 d
2.30 Dwight Stones USA Munich 11 Jul 1973 2 yrs
2.29 Pat Matzdorf USA Berkeley, California 3 Jul 1971 2 yrs
2.28 Valeriy Brumel URS Moscow 21 Jul 1963 7 yrs
2.27 Valeriy Brumel URS Moscow 29 Sep 1962 295 d
2.26 Valeriy Brumel URS Palo Alto, California 22 Jul 1962 69 d
2.25 Valeriy Brumel URS Sofia, Bulgaria 31 Aug 1961 325 d
2.24 Valeriy Brumel URS Moscow 16 Jul 1961 46 d
2.23 Valeriy Brumel URS Moscow 18 Jun 1961 28 d
2.22 John Thomas USA Palo Alto, California 1 Jul 1960 352 d
2.18 John Thomas USA Bakersfield, California 24 Jun 1960 7 d
2.17 John Thomas USA Cambridge, Massachusetts 21 May 1960 34 d
2.17 John Thomas USA Philadelphia 30 Apr 1960 21 d
2.16 Yuriy Stepanov URS Leningrad, Soviet Union 13 Jul 1957 2 yrs
2.15 Charles Dumas USA Los Angeles 29 Jun 1956 1 yr
2.12 Walt Davis USA Dayton, Ohio 27 Jun 1953 3 yrs
2.11 Lester Steers USA Los Angeles 17 Jun 1941 12 yrs
2.09 Mel Walker USA Malmö, Sweden 12 Aug 1937 3 yrs
2.07 Dave Albritton USA New York 12 Jul 1936 1 yr
2.07 Cornelius Johnson USA New York 12 Jul 1936 0 d
2.06 Walter Marty USA Palo Alto, California 28 Apr 1934 2 yrs
2.04 Walter Marty USA Fresno, California 13 May 1933 350 d
2.03 Harold Osborn USA Urbana, Illinois 27 May 1924 8 yrs
2.01 Edward Beeson USA Berkeley, California 2 May 1914 10 yrs
2.00 George Horine USA Palo Alto, California 18 May 1912 1 yr

Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.

Before official ratification

37 entries · not ratified · marks from before the IAAF (now World Athletics) began ratifying records, or never ratified, shown for context only

1.575Adam Wilson GBR26 Sep 1827
1.60Thomas Anderson GBR24 Jul 1829
1.60John Pattison GBR6 May 1837
1.675Richard Armstrong GBR5 Aug 1839
1.675Thomas Roper GBR1 Apr 1850
1.675Francis Temple GBR21 Sep 1850
1.675Hanmer Webb GBR17 Mar 1857
1.675Henry Powell GBR15 Mar 1860
1.70Robert Burton GBR27 Mar 1860
1.675Henry Sampson GBR13 Jun 1863
1.675T. Bailey GBR13 Jun 1863
1.675Francis Gooch GBR2 Sep 1863
1.70Tom Mitchell GBR9 Jul 1864
1.725John Roupell GBR5 Mar 1866
1.75John Roupell GBR23 Mar 1866
1.75Thomas Little GBR23 Mar 1866
1.75J.A. Harwood GBR26 Nov 1866
1.75Herbert Brooks GBR26 Nov 1866
1.75Thomas Little GBR12 Apr 1867
1.75Ronald Mitchell GBR9 Apr 1870
1.755Ronald Mitchell GBR3 Apr 1871
1.785Tom Davin IRL7 Jul 1873
1.80Marshall Brooks GBR30 Mar 1874
1.80Michael Glazebrook GBR22 Mar 1875
1.83Marshall Brooks GBR17 Mar 1876
1.89Marshall Brooks GBR7 Apr 1876
1.90Patrick Davin IRL5 Jul 1880
1.91William Page USA15 Aug 1887
1.93William Page USA7 Oct 1887
1.968George Rowdon GBR6 Aug 1890
1.935Michael Sweeney USA8 Oct 1892
1.945James Ryan IRL19 Aug 1895
1.955Michael Sweeney USA28 Aug 1895
1.955Michael Sweeney USA2 Sep 1895
1.97Michael Sweeney USA21 Sep 1895
1.98George Horine USA29 Mar 1912
1.98George Horine USAApril/May 1912