The last two strides

The objective of the last two strides is to prepare the body for takeoff while conserving as much speed as possible. The penultimate stride is higher than the last stride. The competitor begins to lower his or her center of gravity to prepare the body for the vertical impulse. The final stride is shorter because the body is beginning to raise the center of gravity in preparation for takeoff. The last two strides are extremely important because they determine the velocity with which the competitor will enter the jump; the greater the velocity, the better the jump.