The triple jump is a track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 sport, similar to the long jump

Long jump

The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.

The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a modern Olympics event since the Games’ inception in 1896.

The current male and female world record holders are Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards (athlete)

Jonathan David Edwards, CBE, is a former British triple jumper. He is a former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World champion, and has held the world record in the event since 1995....

 of Great Britain, with a jump of 18.29 metres (60 ft), and Inessa Kravets

Inessa Kravets

Inessa Mykolajivna Kravets is an Ukrainian triple jumper and long jumper.She jumped the world record at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg with 15.50m after studying a picture of Jonathan Edwards....

 of Ukraine, with a jump of 15.50 m (50 ft.