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I was actually looking into the meaning of the word run-up after seeing this question. Well after seeing Michael's comment actually, but yeah.

When I Googled the word, I got the following result:

  1. the period preceding a notable event. "a programme aimed at lowering unemployment in the run-up to the next election"

  2. an act of running briefly to gain momentum before performing a jump in athletics, bowling in cricket, etc. "high jumper Steve Smith will use his shortened five-stride run-up"

...and many more.

Now I fairly understood which meaning of run-up was intended in that question. However, the second entry shows this sentence where the phrase "high jumper" is used. Now I looked into the what the word jumper means here, but could not deduce my observations. Jumper has following entries in the Sports category meanings on Google:

  1. a person or animal that jumps. "the horse should be a better jumper this season"

    Basketball - another term for jump shot.

Now I really can't understand which meaning is intended in this context. Steve Smith doesn't jump while batting, I mean that's kind of weird. He isn't playing Basketball either.

Is it referring to the motion of him coming forward to hit the ball, like players do when they hit a six (they come considerably away from the stumps to hit the ball)? Also I would appreciate if someone gave me the word for the above described motion (coming forward to hit the ball in cricket), I believe it has a term.

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    The high jump is a sports event. Steve Smith is a high jumper.
    – Weather Vane
    Dec 5, 2020 at 17:27
  • @WeatherVane Ohh I know this game. I have seen it in Olympic events. So is Steve Smith here actually a gymnast or like a person who actually plays this sport of high jump?
    – Dhanishtha Ghosh
    Dec 5, 2020 at 17:29
  • Yes, "high jumper Steve Smith..." is like saying "cricketer Don Bradman..."
    – Weather Vane
    Dec 5, 2020 at 17:30
  • My my, I literally thought it was the Australian Cricketer Steve Smith. Seriously, can't Google have used some other name!
    – Dhanishtha Ghosh
    Dec 5, 2020 at 17:31
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    He is the athlete: "high jumper Steve Smith will use his shortened five-stride run-up" is like "cricketer Don Bradman will cut the ball through the slips."
    – Weather Vane
    Dec 5, 2020 at 17:33

1 Answer 1

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The high jump is an athletic event. The athlete jumps over a horizontal pole. A "high jumper" is an athlete that competes in the high jump competition.

To jump over the pole, high jumpers run-and-jump. So they have a run-up. Apparently, Steve Smith shortened his run-up to five strides. Here is a video of Steve Smith jumping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeIZpxOinRA

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