Olympian, High Jump Pioneer Dick Fosbury Dies at 76

Fosbury—a gold medalist at the 1968 Mexico City Games—innovated the sport with his “Fosbury Flop” technique

Dick Fosbury, who revolutionized the sport of high jumping with his breakthrough technique that eventually bore his name, died on Sunday after a bout with lymphoma. He was 76.

The man who trailblazed the high jump form that became known as the “Fosbury Flop” won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The win was the culmination of a years-long journey that forever altered high jumping.

Before Fosbury, jumpers typically cleared the bar by using what’s known as the straddle method, in which they faced the bar during the duration of the jump. Fosbury developed a technique in which he ran toward the bar and, just before the jump, turned away from the bar and leaped backward, landing head-first on the mat below.

Though Fosbury’s innovation was met with some resistance by coaches, it was quickly embraced as he turned in record-breaking results. His jump of 2.24 meters set an Olympic record at Mexico City.

The high jump was forever changed.

Rest in peace, Dick Fosbury ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WzXgOmrFvP

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) March 13, 2023

Fosbury grew up in Oregon and graduated from Oregon State. According to his publicist, Ray Schulte, Fosbury is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, son Erich Fosbury and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps and Kristin Thompson.