ATHLETE

Dick Fosbury

1947 - 2023

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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. His method was to sprint diagonally towards the bar, then curve and leap backward over the bar, which gave him a much lower center of mass in flight than traditional techniques. Debbie Brill was developing her similar "Brill Bend" around the same time. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Dick Fosbury is the 23rd most popular athlete (down from 10th in 2019), the 1,630th most popular biography from United States (down from 828th in 2019) and the 9th most popular American Athlete.

Dick Fosbury was a high jumper and is most famous for inventing the Fosbury Flop. The Fosbury Flop is a technique in which the jumper does not bend their knees, but instead throws themselves backwards and upwards, using the momentum to propel them over the bar.

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Among ATHLETES

Among athletes, Dick Fosbury ranks 23 out of 6,025. Before him are Iolanda Balaș, Usain Bolt, Robert Hichens, Louis Zamperini, Thomas Curtis, and Charley Paddock. After him are Hannes Kolehmainen, Frank Jarvis, Georgios Roubanis, Mike Powell, Archie Hahn, and Bruno.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1947, Dick Fosbury ranks 91. Before him are Zahi Hawass, Mitt Romney, Peter Sloterdijk, Alain Aspect, Janet Mills, and Martha Nussbaum. After him are Rodney Williams, Gloria Gaynor, Mike DeWine, Danielle Steel, Dwight Schultz, and Noritaka Hidaka. Among people deceased in 2023, Dick Fosbury ranks 73. Before him are Dubravka Ugrešić, Milan Milutinović, Mark Margolis, William Friedkin, Gordon Moore, and Hans Modrow. After him are Charles Simic, Gianluca Vialli, Renata Scotto, Superstar Billy Graham, Álvaro Colom, and Burt Bacharach.

Others Born in 1947

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Dick Fosbury ranks 1,630 out of 20,380. Before him are George Armitage Miller (1920), Martin Rodbell (1925), Tony Martin (1913), David Caruso (1956), Kelly McGillis (1957), and Robert Fogel (1926). After him are Dudley R. Herschbach (1932), Bessie Smith (1894), Maria Mitchell (1818), Jean Webster (1876), John Vincent Atanasoff (1903), and Barry Levinson (1942).

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Among ATHLETES In United States

Among athletes born in United States, Dick Fosbury ranks 9. Before him are Thomas Burke (1875), Bob Beamon (1946), Carl Lewis (1961), Louis Zamperini (1917), Thomas Curtis (1873), and Charley Paddock (1900). After him are Frank Jarvis (1878), Mike Powell (1963), Archie Hahn (1880), Ronnie Coleman (1964), Lee Evans (1947), and Michael Johnson (1967).

American born Athletes

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