High Jump, Women

The high jump had been contested internationally for women at the 1922 and 1926 Women’s World Games but of the medalists from those years, only Hélène Bons, the 1926 gold medalist, was present in Amsterdam, making the event difficult to handicap. The official world record was 1.58 (5-2 7/16), set by Canadian Ethel Catherwood in 1926. At the Canadian Championships earlier in 1928, Catherwood had also cleared 1.60 (5-3), but this would not be ratified as a record. The day after that clearance, Lien Gisolf (NED) jumped 1.58 (5-2¼) in Bruxelles to equal the listed world record. The event would come down to these two and American Mildred Wiley. The three were clear thru 1.51 (4-11½) metres, but at 1.54 (5-0½) metres, Catherwood went over on her first attempt while Gisolf and Wiley required two jumps. The same was true at 1.56 (5-1¼) metres, with all three still jumping at 1.58 (5-2¼), but Catherwood won the gold medal when only she could clear that height. She then succeeded on her third attempt at 1.60 (5-3) to break the world record; however, the bar was re-measured for record purposes, and the final mark was given as 1.595 metres (5-2¾).

There was a jump-off for silver/bronze between Gisolf and Wiley, with Gisolf winning silver, although details are not known. There was also a jump-off for 4th through 10th place among seven jumpers, with Jean Shiley clearing 1.51 metres to take fourth, although further details are unavailable.