The classic “look at a problem in a new way” move:

Dick Forsbury won the high-jump gold medal at the 1968 Mexico Olympics by jumping backwards and head first (instead of forwards and feat first).

Evolution of the High Jump

The "Forsbury Flop" back story is wild:

• While developing the flop in high school, Forsbury compressed vertebrates because the soft landing pads were not yet standard
• Someone described his early attempts of the move as an "airborne seizure" and "world's laziest high jumper"

• 4 years later (Munich 1972), 28 of 40 competitors used the "Forsbury Flop move"
• Of the 36 High-Jump medalists from 1972 to 2000, 34 used the move
• Today, its by far the most popular technique