George Horine

Who was George Horine?

George Leslie Horine was an American athlete who mainly competed in the high jump. He is credited with developing a technique called a forerunner to the western roll, a technique he developed due to the layout of his backyard where he practiced which was considered "backward" at the time. While on the track team at Stanford University, his technique was corrected to the more conventional jumping style of the time. He equalled the NCAA record in the event at 6' 4" as a sophomore. His junior year, 1912, he reverted to his old style, improving to 6' 4 3/4" and then a world record 6' 6 1/8". A few weeks later at the Olympic Trials, he improved again to jump 6' 7" making him the first man to break the 2 metres barrier. It was the first high jump world record ratified by the IAAF. He never improved upon his record, which stood for two years.