My Take
Dick Fosbury is genuinely one of those athletes whose entire legacy boils down to a single, audacious idea — and I mean that as the highest compliment possible. Before him, high jumpers went over the bar face-down; he showed up at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics doing it backwards, arching his spine over the bar like it was the most natural thing in the world, and walked away with gold. Coaches thought he was nuts. He proved them wrong so completely that every serious high jumper on the planet has been copying him ever since. That's not just winning a medal — that's rewriting a sport's physics forever. A Portland kid from North Medford High who changed an Olympic event for all time. He passed away in March 2023 at 76, but "the Fosbury flop" will outlive all of us.
Overview
Richard Douglas Fosbury (March 6, 1947 – March 12, 2023) was an American high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a "back-first" technique now known as the Fosbury flop.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dick Fosbury
- Name (Japanese)
- ディック・フォスベリー
- Reading
- でぃっく・ふぉすべりー
- Born
- March 6, 1947 – March 12, 2023
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Boar
- Origin
- Portland, Oregon, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 193 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- athletics competitor / politician / athlete / Olympic competitor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- North Medford High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Fosbury flop | — |
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.