Athletics at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games:

The best jumper of the era was George Brown, ranked #1 in the world in 1951-53. In Helsinki he qualified for the final, but then fouled on his first three attempts and was out of the competition. The leading qualifiers were Americans Meredith Gourdine and Jerome Biffle and South Africa's Neville Price, with Brown fourth. Price injured himself in the qualifying and opened with only 6.40 (21-0) in the final and could do no better. Biffle and Gourdine fought it out for the gold and silver medal. They both had their best jumps in round three, with Biffle defeating Gourdine by four centimeters. Bronze medalist Ödön Földessy (HUN) would win the 1954 European Championship.