Dick Fosbury - Olympic Athlete

guitars4you

The Olympic athlete who gave us the Fosbury Flop, Dick Fosbury has died, aged 76 - At the Mexico games in 1968 he set a new record at a height of 2.24 metres - He created a new form of a jump named after him and to a degree many footballers have perfected this style ever since - Many might have heard of the Fosbury Flop but not necessarily knew there was a man behind it 

EricTheWeary

He was a clue on Only Connect around the time that his passing was announced. 

RIP. 

axisus

I doubt that anyone ever has revolutionised their sport as much as Dick did. It must have been insane to see him first jump like that! Literally no-one has used any of the other four traditional jumps for decades. Actually it looks really weird if you look up scissors or straddle jumps now! (I cant remember the other two)

Actually I just found a really good 4 minute video about him if anyone is interested:

octatonic

EricTheWeary said:

He was a clue on Only Connect around the time that his passing was announced. 

RIP. 

I saw that.

EricTheWeary

octatonic said:

EricTheWeary said:

He was a clue on Only Connect around the time that his passing was announced. 

RIP. 

I saw that.

It won’t be of much comfort to his loved ones but he did provide me with one of the few points I got last night. 

usedtobe

Very very few people revolutionise their chosen sport/whatever in the way he did. To think, “There must be a better way..” and then to come up with it.. wow!.. 
Authentic legend!
RIP

GoFish

You've taught me that Dick Fosbury was much younger than I thought. I had filed away his innovation as being around 10 years earlier than it was, so thank you.

It also cemented the professionalisation of High Jump cos you definitely needed a padded landing area to do it.

RIP

bertie

I remember him at school PE classes, always mucking about,  teacher told him straight "you'll be for the high jump sonny"


from the same era,  my hero was Bob Beamon,   being a long jumper meself

Jalapeno

Revolutionised the High Jump, RIP.

axisus

Pretty sad that his great achievement was ultimately a flop