He’s one of the most influential figures in the history of track and field sports, and the man who singlehandedly revolutionized the high jump. Dick Fosbury invented the Fosbury Flop, a method of sprinting diagonally towards the bar, then twisting and curving to leap backwards over it. Dick took the Olympic Gold Medal in 1968 at Mexico City with an Olympic Record of 2.24m (7'4.2"). Of the 36 Olympic medalists in the event from 1972-2000, 34 used “the flop.” Arguably, no athlete has had a more fundamental impact on a sporting event.
Over the years, Dick has pursued a career in civil engineering, but always given generously to healthy forms of sport for young people. He beat lymphoma in 2008, and is currently running as a Democrat for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives.
