Judges Left 'Speechless' After Never-Before-Seen Somersault Long Jump

A long jump athlete from New Zealand used a never-before-seen somersault technique in competition that was later banned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) for being too dangerous.

Tuariki Delamere is the man behind a radical move known as the "Delamere Flip” – a technique believed to increase hang time and distance by reducing air resistance.

Back in 1974, an up-and-coming Delamere was a 22-year-old student at Washington State University when he used the unprecedented technique at a Pacific 8 Track and Field Championship meet.

Onlookers were completely taken aback by the attempt. Officials at the pit were left "speechless", according to The Way to Win, who claim a radio commentator "choked on his microphone" as Delamere performed the somersault flip.

And the best thing is, it worked. With his second jump of the competition, he touched down with an effort of 7.70 metres, which equalled a distance set by reigning Olympic champion Randy Williams.

"While the somersault long jump might look crazy, it actually makes a lot of sense from a biomechanical standpoint," said the above report. "The forward flip allows the athlete to take off from the board almost at full speed and at a higher, more desirable angle.

"By countering the rotation, the jumper also experiences less air resistance while tucking and rolling into the somersault. Since the rotation works with him rather than against him, his feet land well ahead of his body, and the body should follow so that he doesn’t fall back in the pit."

Unfortunately for Delamere, he only used the technique on one more occasion in competition before it was banned by the IAAF due to safety concerns.

In short, the risk of serious neck or back injuries if the flip was mistimed was too high.

Tom Ecker, who was among the first to propose the technique in the 70s, played down the ruling. “I don’t think there’s any danger at all,” he told Sports Illustrated. “About the worst a guy could do would be to land on his behind.”

The Delamere Flip in action. Image credit: YouTube/Jumpers Junction

Last year, after watching athletes compete at the Paris Olympics, Delamere said he wanted the ban to be lifted, as per Waateanews, who suggest the 73-year-old was preparing a submission for World Athletics head Lord Sebastian Coe.

Explaining the technique, he said: “When you jump you start to rotate, you can’t help it because you are sprinting and suddenly your foot lands on the ground, it’s there longer as you prepare to take off, and inevitably you start rotating around the fulcrum."

"Every jumper actually jumps slightly backwards so they don’t fall flat on their face," he added. "So rather than fight that rotation, you take it through to its natural conclusion so you maintain natural speed and you get better height as well."