Farewell to Dick Fosbury, the inventor of the “back” high jump
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Richard Douglas Fosbury, known as Dick, a former American jumper who had won gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, died in Portland at the age of 76. Ray Schulte, his former manager, gave the news on instagram.
Fosbury, who had lymphoma, died in his sleep yesterday morning. The track and field legend is survived by wife Robin Tomasi, son Erich Fosbury and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps of Hailey, Idaho and Kristin Thompson. Among the immediate comments, that of the sprinter of Trinidad and Tobago, Ato Boldon: «RIP 1968. Olympic gold medalist and legend of the high jump/pioneer, who passed away on Sunday. Condolences to his family and friends. Godspeed, Fos, eternally grateful.”
Fosbury has gone down in history for the ‘Fosbury Flop’, the technique with which the athlete crosses the bar by overturning the body backwards and falling on his back (hence the definition of ‘back jump’). With this revolutionary technique, in 1968 Fosbury first gained national attention, winning the NCAA championship and qualifying trials for the Olympic Games, and subsequently gained worldwide prominence by winning the gold medal in Mexico City and setting a new Olympic record with the measure of 2.24 meters.
Fosbury withdrew in 1969 thus not participating in the Olympic Games in Munich. In 1981 he was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
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