MADRID, 13 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former American athlete Dick Fosbury, Olympic champion at the 1968 Mexico Games in the high jump after applying a revolutionary technique, died this past Sunday at the age of 76, as confirmed by his entourage on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that my longtime friend and client Dick Fosbury passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning after a brief recurrence of lymphoma,” said Ray Schulte, who acted as his representative, on his official Facebook profile. ‘Instagram’.
Fosbury surprised the world of athletics by winning the gold medal in Mexico’68 with a spectacular jump of 2.24 meters, thanks to an innovative technique that has been used since then when overcoming the bar with a back jump , then known as the ‘Fosbury Flop’.
“Among the most influential athletes in the sport, Fosbury’s innovation took the high jump to another level and he remained involved in track and field his entire life. Sharing his knowledge and skill with future generations by training at numerous track and field camps, He also served as Vice President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Association and President of the World Olympians Association,” World Athletics remarked.
For its part, the American Federation also mourned the death of “a true legend and pioneer in the world of athletics,” as the organization’s CEO, Max Siegel, described the Oregonian.
“Dick’s innovative technique of the ‘Fosbury Flop’ revolutionized the high jump event and forever changed the sport. His victory at the 1968 Olympic Games not only cemented his place in United States Olympic history but also left an indelible mark on the global athletic community,” he added.