Athletics at the 1980 Moskva Summer Games:

The best jumpers early in 1980 were the defending champion Jacek Wszoła of Poland, the FRG's Dietmar Mögenburg, and Soviet Volodomyr Yashchenko. But Mögenburg was out because of the boycott and Yashchenko, who had set a world record of 2.34 (7-8) in 1978 – the last straddler to do so, was injured and did not compete. This left Wszoła as a heavy favorite. At 2.29 (7-6), four jumpers cleared, Wszoła on his first attempt, as did Jörg Freimuth and Henry Lauterbach, and Gerd Wessig, who needed two attempts (all GDR). Lauterbach went out at 2.31 (7-7) and Wessig took the lead with a first-attempt clearance. He was also the only jumper to get over 2.33 (7-7¾), securing the gold medal. But he kept going, and on his second attempt, broke the world record in clearing 2.36 (7-8¾).