Olympic high jump champion Dick Fosbury, who revolutionised the event with a radically different jumping technique that was eventually named after him, died on Sunday aged 76, his agent Ray Schulte said.
The track and field legend is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, son Erich Fosbury and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps, and Kristin Thompson. “Dick Fosbury was always true to the Olympic values and served the Olympic movement in a number of functions, including as president of World Olympians. He will forever be remembered as an outstanding Olympic champion,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said.
“I had the privilege of seeing first-hand how Dick tirelessly advocated for the wellbeing of athletes, particularly retired athletes,” said Michael Conley, USATF board chair and high-performance division chair.