Gold medalist high jumper Dick Fosbury died at the age of 76 on Sunday following a recurrence of lymphoma.
Fosbury was known for revolutionizing the event, popularizing the Fosbury Flop which led to massive increases in high jumping marks following his time.
Dick Fosbury, Olympic gold medalist who revolutionized high jump with 'Fosbury Flop,' dead at 76 https://t.co/mqdFG5i2q1
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 14, 2023
"In the 1968 Olympics, he used the revolutionary move to win a gold medal over fellow America Ed Caruthers and the Soviet Union's Valeriy Skvortsov," Fox News reported.
"By the next Olympics, 28 of the 40 jumpers were using the technique. The 1976 Olympics became the final Games where an athlete would win with a technique other than the 'Fosbury Flop,'" it added.
Olympic High Jumper Dick Fosbury Dead at 76 After 'Short Bout with a Recurrence of Lymphoma' https://t.co/ya6xorVyJ6
— People (@people) March 14, 2023
Fosbury "passed away peacefully in his sleep early Sunday morning after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma," according to his agent Ray Schulte.
"The Track & Field legend is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, and son Erich Fosbury, and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps of Hailey, Idaho, and Kristin Thompson," he added.
Fosbury was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2008. He had surgery to remove a tumor from his lower back.
His top high jump mark was 7 feet, 3 inches (2.24 meters), set in 1968. The record jump would stand until the 1976 Olympic Games.
His fame let to his school Oregon State University to mark the 50th anniversary of his gold medal win with a statue of him performing his high jump on the school's campus.
Fosbury held numerous other achievements but will likely always be known best for revolutionizing the high jump to bring victory to the U.S. in the event and forever changing the event for future athletes.
