| Date | 7 – 8 September 1960 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Stadio Olimpico, Roma |
| Participants | 23 from 15 countries |
The overwhelming favorite was Romania’s Iolanda Balaş. She was the world record holder with 1.86 (6-1¼), and had easily won the 1958 European Championships. Since Melbourne, Balaş had broken the world record nine times, and in Bucuresti on 18 October 1958, she became the first woman to jump over 6 feet, when she won that competition with 1.83 metres. She was undefeated since Melbourne and would, in fact, win 140 consecutive high jump events between Melbourne and June 1967. Track historians consider her the most dominant single field event athlete in history, rivaled among track athletes only by Edwin Moses. She was a scissors jumper and when she used that technique to jump 1.73 (5-8) in Roma, she had the gold medal. She then also succeeded with jumps at 1.76 (5-9¼) and 1.81 (5-11¼) (both 1st attempts), and 1.85 (6-0¾) metres (2nd attempt).
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Qualifying | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64 | Iolanda Balaș |  ROU | 1.65 (1) | 1.85 (1) | Gold | ||
| =2 | 199 | Dorothy Shirley |  GBR | 1.65 (=4) | 1.71 (=2) | Silver | ||
| =2 | 150 | Jarosława Jóźwiakowska |  POL | 1.65 (=4) | 1.71 (=2) | Silver | ||
| 4 | 169 | Galina Dolya |  URS | 1.65 (=14) | 1.71 (4) | |||
| 5 | 168 | Taisiya Chenchik | URS | 1.65 (=10) | 1.68 (5) | |||
| =6 | 99 | Helen Frith |  AUS | 1.65 (13) | 1.65 (=6) | |||
| =6 | 198 | Frances Slaap | GBR | 1.65 (12) | 1.65 (=6) | |||
| =6 | 104 | Inga-Britt Lorentzon |  SWE | 1.65 (=7) | 1.65 (=6) | |||
| =9 | 138 | Florence Pétry-Amiel |  FRA | 1.65 (=10) | 1.65 (=9) | |||
| =9 | 84 | Ingrid Becker |  GER | 1.65 (=4) | 1.65 (=9) | |||
| =9 | 83 | Marlene Schmitz-Portz | GER | 1.65 (=2) | 1.65 (=9) | |||
| =9 | 54 | Nel Zwier |  NED | 1.65 (=14) | 1.65 (=9) | |||
| =9 | 100 | Olga Gere |  YUG | 1.65 (=7) | 1.65 (=9) | |||
| 14 | 126 | Neomia Rodgers |  USA | 1.65 (=7) | 1.65 (14) | |||
| 15 | 170 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.65 (=2) | 1.65 (15) | |||
| =16 r1/2 | 85 | Karin Lenzke | GER | 1.60 (=16) | – | |||
| =16 r1/2 | 53 | Diny Hobers | NED | 1.60 (=16) | – | |||
| 18 r1/2 | 71 | Mette Oxvang |  DEN | 1.60 (18) | – | |||
| 19 r1/2 | 184 | Marinella Bortoluzzi |  ITA | 1.55 (19) | – | |||
| 20 r1/2 | 47 | Brenda Archer |  GUY | 1.55 (20) | – | |||
| =21 r1/2 | 124 | Barbara Brown | USA | 1.50 (=21) | – | |||
| =21 r1/2 | 125 | Jean Gaertner | USA | 1.50 (=21) | – | |||
| 23 r1/2 | 205 | Canel Konvur |  TUR | 1.50 (23) | – | |||
| 12 | Wu Jin-Yun |  TPE | – ( | – |
| Date | 7 September 1960 — 9:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 1.65 metres advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Best Height Cleared | Misses at Best Height Cleared | Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared | Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared | Attempts at 1.50 m | Attempts at 1.55 m | Attempts at 1.60 m | Attempts at 1.65 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Iolanda Balaș | ROU | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | o | o | ||
| =2 | 14 | Marlene Schmitz-Portz | GER | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | ||
| =2 | 18 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | ||
| =4 | 23 | Dorothy Shirley | GBR | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | ||
| =4 | 4 | Ingrid Becker | GER | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | ||
| =4 | 22 | Jarosława Jóźwiakowska | POL | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | ||
| =7 | 10 | Inga-Britt Lorentzon | SWE | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 5 | o | o | o | xo | ||
| =7 | 20 | Neomia Rodgers | USA | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 5 | o | o | o | xo | ||
| =7 | 19 | Olga Gere | YUG | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 5 | o | o | o | xo | ||
| =10 | 9 | Florence Pétry-Amiel | FRA | 1.65 | 1 | 2 | 6 | o | xo | o | xo | ||
| =10 | 8 | Taisiya Chenchik | URS | 1.65 | 1 | 2 | 6 | o | o | xo | xo | ||
| 12 | 5 | Frances Slaap | GBR | 1.65 | 1 | 3 | 7 | o | xxo | o | xo | ||
| 13 | 24 | Helen Frith | AUS | 1.65 | 2 | 2 | 5 | o | - | o | xxo | ||
| =14 | 7 | Nel Zwier | NED | 1.65 | 2 | 2 | 6 | o | o | o | xxo | ||
| =14 | 11 | Galina Dolya | URS | 1.65 | 2 | 2 | 6 | o | o | o | xxo | ||
| =16 | 15 | Karin Lenzke | GER | 1.60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | o | o | o | xxx | ||
| =16 | 3 | Diny Hobers | NED | 1.60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | o | o | o | xxx | ||
| 18 | 12 | Mette Oxvang | DEN | 1.60 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | ||
| 19 | 16 | Marinella Bortoluzzi | ITA | 1.55 | 0 | 0 | 2 | o | o | xxx | – | ||
| 20 | 13 | Brenda Archer | GUY | 1.55 | 1 | 1 | 3 | o | xo | xxx | – | ||
| =21 | 2 | Barbara Brown | USA | 1.50 | 0 | 0 | 1 | o | xxx | – | – | ||
| =21 | 6 | Jean Gaertner | USA | 1.50 | 0 | 0 | 1 | o | xxx | – | – | ||
| 23 | 21 | Canel Konvur | TUR | 1.50 | 2 | 2 | 3 | xxo | xxx | – | – | ||
| 17 | Wu Jin-Yun | TPE | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Date | 8 September 1960 — 15:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Best Height Cleared | Misses at Best Height Cleared | Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared | Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared | Attempts at 1.55 m | Attempts at 1.60 m | Attempts at 1.65 m | Attempts at 1.68 m | Attempts at 1.71 m | Attempts at 1.73 m | Attempts at 1.75 m | Attempts at 1.77 m | Attempts at 1.81 m | Attempts at 1.85 m | Attempts at 1.87 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Iolanda Balaș | ROU | 1.85 | 2 | 3 | 10 | - | o | - | o | o | o | - | o | xo | xxo | xx- | ||
| =2 | 14 | Dorothy Shirley | GBR | 1.71 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =2 | 13 | Jarosława Jóźwiakowska | POL | 1.71 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 4 | 8 | Galina Dolya | URS | 1.71 | 2 | 3 | 8 | o | o | xo | o | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 5 | 5 | Taisiya Chenchik | URS | 1.68 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =6 | 15 | Helen Frith | AUS | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 3 | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =6 | 3 | Frances Slaap | GBR | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 3 | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =6 | 7 | Inga-Britt Lorentzon | SWE | 1.65 | 0 | 0 | 3 | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =9 | 6 | Florence Pétry-Amiel | FRA | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =9 | 2 | Ingrid Becker | GER | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =9 | 9 | Marlene Schmitz-Portz | GER | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =9 | 4 | Nel Zwier | NED | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| =9 | 11 | Olga Gere | YUG | 1.65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 14 | 12 | Neomia Rodgers | USA | 1.65 | 1 | 4 | 7 | xo | xxo | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 15 | 10 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.65 | 2 | 3 | 6 | o | xo | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
