Dick Fosbury, the man who revolutionized the high jump, dies

Former American athlete Dick Fosbury, Olympic champion at the 1968 Mexico Games in the high jump after applying a revolutionary technique, died this past Sunday at the age of 76, as confirmed on Monday by those around him.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that my longtime friend and client Dick Fosbury died peacefully in his sleep Sunday morning after a brief relapse of lymphoma,” said Ray Schulte, who acted as his representative, on his official Facebook profile. ‘Instagram’.

Fosbury appeared in the world of athletics by winning the gold medal in Mexico’68 with a spectacular jump of 2.24 meters, thanks to an innovative technique that has been used since then when overcoming the bar with a back jump , then known as the ‘Fosbury Flop’.

“Among the foremost athletes in the sport, Fosbury’s innovation took the high jump to another level and they were involved in athletics their entire lives. Sharing his knowledge and skill with future generations by training at numerous track and field camps, he has also served as Vice President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Association and President of the World Olympians Association.

For its part, the American Federation also mourned the true death of “a legend and pioneer in the world of athletics,” as the organization’s CEO, Max Siegel, described the Oregonian.

“Dick’s innovative technique of the ‘Fosbury Flop’ revolutionized the high jump event and forever changed the sport. His victory at the 1968 Olympic Games not only cemented his place in United States Olympic history but also left an indelible mark on the world athletic community,” he added.