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 Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a “back-first” technique now known as the Fosbury Flop.
Dick Fosbury’s cause of death
Fosbury’s agent Ray Schulte wrote on his social media account: “It is with a very heavy heart I have to release the news that long-time friend and client Dick Fosbury passed away peacefully in his sleep early Sunday morning after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma.”
Fosbury used his new technique to win the gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, setting a new Games record of 2.24 meters in the process, and paving the way for the style to be universally adopted by future generations in the event.
Born in Portland in 1947, Fosbury began to experiment with his new style, starting with a curled run-up before a twist to clear the bar backward, during his time on the Oregon State athletics team, despite initial resistance from his coaching team.