Dick Fosbury

Dick Fosbury
Fosbury in 1968
Personal information
Full nameRichard Douglas Fosbury
Born(1947-03-06)March 6, 1947
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
DiedMarch 12, 2023(2023-03-12) (aged 76)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight183 lb (83 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportAthletics
EventHigh jump
College teamOregon State University
ClubOregon State Beavers, Corvallis
Achievements and titles
Personal best2.24 m (7 ft 4¼ in) (1968)[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City High jump

Richard Douglas Fosbury (March 6, 1947 – March 12, 2023) was an American high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a "back-first" technique now known as the Fosbury flop. His method was to sprint diagonally towards the bar, then curve and leap backward over the bar, which gave him a much lower center of mass in flight than traditional techniques. Debbie Brill was developing her similar "Brill Bend" around the same time. This approach has seen nearly universal adoption since Fosbury's performance in Mexico. Though he never returned to the Olympics, Fosbury continued to be involved in athletics after retirement and served on the executive board of the World Olympians Association.[2]

In 2014, Fosbury unsuccessfully challenged Steve Miller for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. Fosbury ran for Blaine County Commissioner against incumbent Larry Schoen in 2018, won the seat, and took office in 2019.

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dick Fosbury". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "World Olympians Association Website". Woaolympians.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2015.