Best High Jump Athletes of All Time
Who are the greatest high jump athletes of all time? Explore the leading athletes in Sport Ranking’s historical Athletics ranking, based on results from major international competitions across different eras.
Greatest Men’s High Jump Athletes
High jump Men
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javier Sotomayor | Cuba | 199 |
| 2 | Mutaz Essa Barshim | Qatar | 169 |
| 3 | Gianmarco Tamberi | Italy | 111 |
| 4 | Stefan Holm | Sweden | 103 |
| 5 | Patrik Sjöberg | Sweden | 99 |
| 6 | Yaroslav Rybakov | Russia | 93 |
| 7 | Valeriy Brumel | Soviet Union | 75 |
| 8 | Ray Ewry | United States | 72 |
| 9 | Hamish Kerr | New Zealand | 67 |
| 10 | Charles Austin | United States | 60 |
Greatest Women’s High Jump Athletes
High jump Women
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stefka Kostadinova | Bulgaria | 201 |
| 2 | Yaroslava Mahuchikh | Ukraine | 165 |
| 3 | Mariya Lasitskene | Russia | 144 |
| 4 | Iolanda Balaș | Romania | 138 |
| 5 | Blanka Vlašić | Croatia | 127 |
| 6 | Anna Chicherova | Russia | 99 |
| 7 | Nicola Olyslagers | Australia | 97 |
| 8 | Ruth Beitia | Spain | 92 |
| 9 | Hestrie Cloete | South Africa | 87 |
| 9 | Ulrike Meyfarth | West Germany | 87 |
How the All-Time Ranking Works
The ranking is based on global and continental championships, which are weighted according to their importance on the international stage. The system also includes the Diamond League and its historical predecessors.
Team events are valued at three times the points of individual disciplines to increase their importance in national rankings, but they are not included in individual rankings. The World Athletics Awards do not count towards the discipline rankings, only towards the overall athletics ranking.
The achievement and holding of a world record are also rewarded, representing a significant performance milestone. Holding the world record on short distances has only been awarded points since the time of automatic timing.
Learn more about Athletics scoring →