The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat for landing. Since ancient times, competitors have successively improved their technique until developing the universally preferred Fosbury Flop, in which athletes run towards the bar and leap head first with their back to the bar.
The women's high jump at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 21–23 August at the Beijing Olympic Stadium.
The men's high jump at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 17–19 August at the Beijing Olympic Stadium. Forty athletes from 28 nations competed. The event was won by Andrey Silnov of Russia, the nation's second victory in the men's high jump. Germaine Mason's silver was Great Britain's first medal in the event since 1996, and matched the nation's best-ever result. Silnov's countryman Yaroslav Rybakov won bronze, marking the first time since 1988 that a nation had two medalists in the men's high jump in the same Games. Reigning world champion Donald Thomas, who cleared 2.32 metres at Osaka 2007, finished in twenty-first place and failed to advance into the final round. For the first time, no American made the final.
The Women's high jump competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 9–11 August.
The men's high jump competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Olympic Stadium between 14–16 August. Forty-four athletes from 28 nations competed. The event was won by Derek Drouin of Canada, the nation's first victory in the men's high jump since 1932. Drouin was the ninth man to win multiple medals in the high jump, after his 2012 bronze. Mutaz Essa Barshim, who had tied Drouin for bronze in 2012, was the tenth multiple medalist in the event. Barshim's silver was Qatar's fifth Olympic medal in any event, and the first better than bronze. Bohdan Bondarenko took bronze, Ukraine's first medal in the men's high jump.
The men's pole vault competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium between 13–15 August. Thirty-one athletes from 16 nations competed. Thiago Braz of Brazil won the gold medal, the nation's first medal in the men's pole vault. Renaud Lavillenie of France was unable to successfully defend his 2012 gold, but became the seventh man to win two medals with silver this time. Sam Kendricks's bronze returned the United States to the podium after a one-Games absence.
The women's high jump event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place between August 18–20, at the Olympic Stadium.
The women's pole vault competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium between 16–19 August.
The men's high jump at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 11 and 13 August.
The women's high jump event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 5 and 7 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. Even though 32 athletes qualified through the qualification system for the Games, only 31 took part in the competition. This was the 22nd appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since women's athletics was introduced in 1928.
Yaroslava Oleksiivna Mahuchikh is a Ukrainian high jumper and women's high jump world record holder. She won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, 2023 World Championships and 2022 World Indoor Championships. Mahuchikh is also the 2020 Summer Olympics bronze medalist, 2019 and 2022 World Championships silver medalist and 2024 World Indoor Championships silver medalist. She is a three-times Diamond League title holder.
The women's high jump at the 2022 World Athletics Championships was held at the Hayward Field in Eugene on 16 and 19 July 2022.
The women's high jump at the 2022 European Athletics Championships took place at the Olympic Stadium on 19 & 21 August 2022.
The women's high jump at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 25 and 27 August 2023.
The women's pole vault at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 21 and 23 August 2023.
Ukraine competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from 19 to 27 August 2023. The country won two medals, one gold and one silver.
The women's high jump at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships took place on 1 March 2024. 2016 world indoor champion Vashti Cunningham of America was injured in warmups and did not start.
The women's pole vault at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in Paris, France, on 5 and 7 August 2024. This was the seventh time that the event was contested at the Summer Olympics.
The men's high jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in Paris, France, on 7 and 10 August 2024. This was the 30th time that the event was contested at the Summer Olympics.
The men's pole vault at the 2024 Summer Olympics took place on 3 and 5 August 2024 at Stade de France. This was the 30th time that the event was contested at the Summer Olympics. Sweden's Armand Duplantis won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, setting a world record of 6.25 metres. Sam Kendricks of the United States earned the silver, while Emmanouil Karalis of Greece took the bronze.
