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The Great Dick Fosbury died last Sunday

link Chrissy Joined: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 183095 3/17/23, 8:47:03 PM 
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Dick Fosbury - the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics - has died at the age of 76.

The American leapt backwards over the bar to win gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympics in a technique which became known as the 'Fosbury Flop' and is used by high jumpers today.

At the Games Fosbury set a then record of 2.24 metres using his method.

link DirtyDan Joined: Jun 9, 2017
Posts: 1593 3/17/23, 9:36:00 PM 
In reply to Chrissy

For some fellas it was way before last Sunday sad sad sad

The Flop

link FanAttick Joined: Nov 13, 2002
Posts: 61205 3/17/23, 9:36:07 PM 
In reply to Chrissy

RIP…legend

link camos Joined: May 6, 2003
Posts: 55232 3/17/23, 10:19:31 PM 
The man that made the scissors obsolete!

link JoeGrine Joined: Feb 15, 2009
Posts: 3898 3/18/23, 12:10:41 AM 
The two names that will live in track & field perpetuity are Fosbury and Beamon (Beamonesque).

link Chrissy Joined: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 183095 3/18/23, 12:51:25 AM 
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In reply to JoeGrine
Yep

link StumpCam Joined: Jan 1, 2004
Posts: 10766 3/18/23, 3:37:52 AM 
In reply to JoeGrine

My early years in high school, mid 70s, I read about the two world beaters!
May his soul RIP!

link Brerzerk Joined: Mar 16, 2021
Posts: 7176 3/18/23, 5:26:39 AM 
In reply to Chrissy
Wow, how did I miss that? What an innovator, can never forget the day a batchmate (high school) 'Flopped 6ft. He had been secretly practicing the new innovation and 'buss it pon wi' one evening. Man Pandemonium on the sports field.

link JoeGrine Joined: Feb 15, 2009
Posts: 3898 3/18/23, 10:52:49 AM 
In reply to StumpCam

Both men part of what is considered (rightly) the greatest Olympic track & field team ever 1968!

link KTom Joined: Jul 22, 2022
Posts: 390 3/18/23, 11:29:27 AM 
Try flopping without a foam mat (which only became commercially available in the 1960s) and see how you get on.

link camos Joined: May 6, 2003
Posts: 55232 3/18/23, 11:30:17 AM 
In reply to JoeGrine
think Ja set a world record in the 4 by 100 heat,only for US to beat it in the final!

link JoeGrine Joined: Feb 15, 2009
Posts: 3898 3/18/23, 11:52:59 AM 
In reply to camos

Actually, Jamaica equaled the record in the heat (38.6) then broke it in the semis only to finish 4th in the finals.

link camos Joined: May 6, 2003
Posts: 55232 3/18/23, 1:54:52 PM 
In reply to JoeGrine
got you, memory not as sharp as it used to be! lol

link Brerzerk Joined: Mar 16, 2021
Posts: 7176 3/18/23, 9:39:17 PM 
In reply to JoeGrine
Because of injuries the best quartet wasn't available I think,
But, breaking and setting WR thrice in one meet is inconcievable
so I doubt we'd have beaten that great US team that broke our semi-final
record

link JoeGrine Joined: Feb 15, 2009
Posts: 3898 3/19/23, 6:48:34 AM 
In reply to Brerzerk

We will never know, however, the Rum Shop is where we speculate. Remember the USA ran their absolute best team. Jamaica on the other hand ran a make-shift team:

1) Stewart - a XLCR schoolboy ran lead-off instead of Donald Quarrie (himself a C'Down schoolboy)
2) Fray - ran the leg he was slated for
3) Forbes - a 400m man ran for Lawson
4) Miller - ran the leg he was slated for

despite the changes we equaled (heats) then broke (semis) the record. The make-shift nature of the team showed up in the finals when the Forbes exchanges were somewhat mishandled. At full strength, we are at worse finishing second and I would not have been surprised with a win.

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