What is the men's long jump world record?

The world record for the long jump of 8.95 meters is held by Mike Powell of the United States, as of January 2015. Powell set the long jump world record on August 30, 1991 in Tokyo.

The long jump event in track and field can be traced back to the early Olympics that were held in Ancient Greece. In this event, athletes must sprint down a straight pathway. At the end of the runway, they jump off a wooden board and land in a sand pit. The distance from the edge of the board to where they landed is measured and is considered their distance. Athletes tend to have the opportunity to make six jumps, with any with their foot falling beyond the wooden board considered a scratch and not counted.