Dick Fosbury Cause of Death, Obituary, Funeral, Age, Wife, Siblings, Children

Dick Fosbury Cause of Death: On March 12th, the track and field world lost a true legend. Dick Fosbury, the 1968 Olympic high jump champion and U.S. Olympian, passed away at the age of 76 after a short battle with a recurrence of lymphoma. His former agent, Ray Schulte, confirmed the news on Instagram.

Dick Fosbury Cause of Death, Obituary, Funeral

Fosbury revolutionized the high jump event during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics when he introduced his signature move, the “Fosbury Flop.” This innovative technique involved jumping over the bar headfirst and landing on the back, rather than the traditional method of jumping face-forward and landing on the feet. Fosbury’s bold move allowed him to set an Olympic record height of 2.24m and earn gold.

At the time, the high-jumping community was skeptical of this new technique, but it quickly gained acceptance as more athletes saw the benefits of the Fosbury Flop. By the 1972 Olympics in Munich, 28 out of 40 competitors were using the technique. Today, the Fosbury Flop is the most commonly used technique in high jumping.

Interestingly, Fosbury initially came up with the technique in high school when he found it challenging to coordinate all the movements required in the straddle method. He began experimenting with the flop, which eventually led to his Olympic success.

Fosbury’s influence on the sport of high jumping was significant, and his contributions did not go unrecognized. In 1981, he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. His story and technique have also been featured in commercials and popular music videos, cementing his legacy in pop culture.