He Only Invented One Thing – and That Was a Flop!
How Dick Fosbury’s Innovation Changed the High Jump Forever
It’s very likely you’ve seen iconic images from the 1968 Olympics, most notably American athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos raising their gloved fists on the medal podium in protest of the treatment of people of color in the United States. But there’s one lingering image you may not even be aware of, nor knew the origin of — until now. We’ve all seen the images of high jumpers contorting their bodies to arch their way over a high bar. Well, that is called the “Fosbury Flop,” immortalized by Dick Fosbury.
Meet Dick Fosbury: Dick Fosbury was a civil engineering student at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, and after some early frustrations with high jumping, he began to slowly evolve his unique style, which departed radically from the standard jumping styles of the day. And despite discouragement from coaches, Fosbury intuitively knew that the mechanics of his new technique could carry him to more and more impressive heights. After scoring successive victories in the PAC-8 Championships (now the PAC-12), the NCAA Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials, Dick found himself headed to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The 21-year-old Fosbury, from Medford, Oregon, captured the hearts of the adoring fans – those attending in person and the millions more watching via international TV. And from his very first jump, the affection and the will of the crowd seemed to carry him over the bar.
The Origins of ‘The Fosbury Flop’: Many sports writers and commentators at the time dismissed the style, dubbed the Fosbury Flop as an oddity. Some questioned whether that style of high jumping was even within the rules of the event, and it was derisively assumed that the Fosbury Flop would never be accepted. But as Fosbury stood on the podium to receive his Olympic Gold Medal, he felt sure that his success would encourage others to give his unorthodox style of jumping a try. He was right. Within a short time after the ’68 Games, the Fosbury Flop had been so universally adopted that it is now a matter of fact that no high jump event at any significant level of competition is won using any other style.
Meet Fosbury’s Go-to Recovery Drink: CHERRISH Fosbury, now in his mid-seventies, has devoted a great deal of time to mentoring athletes at all levels of competition through track camps, and he maintains a great affection for the Olympics. As a former Gold Medal winning athlete, Fosbury understands and promotes the importance of good nutrition as an integral part of athletic training, even though that aspect of training was not stressed when he was in college. “I think my naturally inquisitive engineering mindset led me to take a very analytical approach to all aspects of my competition, including nutrition.” Whereas he has not leapt over 7 feet in many years, he still rakes hay for his horses and enjoys snow shoeing in the winter. One thing that has helped Dick avoid muscle soreness, and something he recommends to the young athletes he mentors, is drinking 100% cherry juice as a regular part of his fitness regimen. “I think CHERRISH is a great product, so not only do I drink it as a part of my program, I send a case out each month to a friend or a student of mine to share the benefits with them.” With the love and admiration of track fans everywhere, Fosbury created a legacy of having revolutionized his event and having left his indelible mark – and his name on his sport forever. Create your own legendary moments with CHERRISH. Visit Cherrish.com for more details.