He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Don't knowingly lie about anyone 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic gold medals for pole vaulting, died at 97 on Sunday. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Illinois, the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Bob Richards. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. Corrections? Bob Richards 1951 (cropped).jpg 345 503; 81 KB. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly., AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly., AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. In addition to the gold medals he won at the 1952 Olympics in Finland and the 1956 Games in Australia, Mr. Richards won 17 national pole vault championships and was ranked No. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Bobbing and weaving, his forehead glistening with perspiration, he is Rocky Marciano on the attack against Archie Moore. 1 vaulter for eight consecutive years. In New York, chefs are redefining it. So did his grandson Riley, who won two state championships for China Spring High School before going on to compete at Baylor. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. That marriage ended in divorce. 2-time Olympic pole vault champion Bob Richards dies at 97, Wizards show plenty of heart early but cant find an edge late in Chicago. His son, Brandon, w Feb. 20, 1926 - Feb. 26, 2023. Packers await Rodgers' decision on future, cite potential contract restructuring. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Bob Richards, an ordained minister who became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box after he won two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault during the 1950s, an accomplishment . With the ministers help, Mr. Richards enrolled at Bridgewater College, a Brethren-affiliated school in Virginia, where he dominated collegiate pole vaulting. Most of us say, Im the worst. that is degrading to another person. He was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. 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Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. He was 97. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will not play Tuesday due to his recent right foot injury, the team announced. He built a pit in his backyard, jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. He was 97. He was 97. Richards also competed as a decathlete in the 1956 Olympics. He won the Helms Foundation Trophy and James E. Sullivan Award in 1951 as the outstanding amateur athlete in America. Low near 40F. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals, died at age 97 . The most dominant vaulter of his time, as he was ranked as the worlds No. He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. 1 min read. Pole vault. It sounds cornball, but when you finally realize that dream and you walk up that podium and The Star-Spangled Banner plays, Im telling you, the tears just start flowing. At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, he won a bronze medal, and he won his first gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, repeating this accomplishment at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only male two-time champion in the event in Olympic history. But pole vaulting, which he took up in junior high, was his obsession. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, has died The Rev. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. February 28, 2023 at 11:15 a.m. EST. Feb. 27, 2023 Updated 2:44 p.m. Ex-Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane calls trade to Rangers 'bittersweet'. T. HE POLE VAULT -- the most technologically advanced, adventure-filled event in track and field -- represents all the innocence, bravado, and magic of childhood. After winning a second goal medal, Mr. Richardss career as pitchman took off, buoyed not just by Wheaties but also his popular 1959 autobiography Heart of a Champion.. July 15, 2010. The Lakers also fear James could miss more than a week while healing. Bob Richards: 15-1 . Bob Richards 2.jpg 801 1,000; 128 KB. American pole vaulter Bob Richards won the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in London in 1948. Use the 'Report' link on Bob Richards Track and Field. Story Links. FILE - American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He was 97. ALLEN EYESTONE/ THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK, By CHARLIE MELTON Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. After a difficult adolescence and the breakup of his home by divorce, he was reared by a minister in the Church of the Brethren. He taught sociology at the University of Illinois in the late 1940s and later was a member of the faculty of La Verne College (California; now University of La Verne) as well as holding pulpits in the Church of the Brethren. With the help of gynecologic oncology specialists at Providence, Amy beat cancerand found the courage to accomplish things shed never dreamed of. 0. Family, friends and pole vault community, I am heartbroken to say that my . Be Truthful. In a matter of minutes he has the Evansville salesmen in his grip. "He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be," Brandon Richards said. Richards was interested in athletics from boyhood, participating in diving and tumbling before taking up the pole vault in junior high school. Richards also became involved in politics, and he was the Populist Partys presidential candidate in the 1984 election; he received approximately 66,000 votes. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In 1984, saying the country must work to get rid of these tyrants who rule us, he ran for president on the Populist Party ticket. Following a college career as a standout at the University of Illinois, he made his Olympic debut in 1948 in London and nabbed a bronze medal in a rainy competition. Can you imagine going into a boxing ring thinking, Maybe Im not the greatest?. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. USA Track . But it also came to be known for the far-right extremist views of one its founders, Willis Carto, a Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi hero. At the 52 Games, the United States was very much engaged in the Cold War with Russia, but Richards befriended his Russian competitors, who in turn cheered when Richards cleared the bar to claim gold. He is an actor, . And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. The Rev. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. . INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers want to know Aaron Rodgers' 2023 playing plans within the next three weeks, but have not set a date to meet with the quarterback, general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday in Indianapolis. Pole vaulter Rev. They had never tried. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956. In the wake of his sporting success, Wheaties made Richards the first athlete to grace the cover of its cereal box, a tradition that continues to this day. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the Olympics pole vault. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Pan American Games. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst. 1 pole vaulter. He was a three-time Olympic pole vaulter for the U.S. in 1948, 1952 and 1956, winning Gold in 52 and 56 after winning a Bronze medal in 48. Richards is the only man in history to win two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault, and these came after an Olympic bronze in 1948. Don't Threaten. His success in the air, combined with wholesome looks and an upbeat ministerial eloquence, made Mr. Richards a fixture in American households. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. Warmerdam, known as Dutch, might have been an odds-on Olympic favorite, but he never got to compete because the quadrennial Games were suspended in 1940 and 1944 for World War II, when he was serving as a Navy officer. Until 2012, he had lived on a ranch in Santo, Texas, which he named the Crossbar Ranch and which was involved in numerous commercial activities, including oil and gas exploration and horse and cattle grazing. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Its the climax of all your dreams. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. He was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. Mr. Richardss daughter said her father regretted running on the Populist Party ticket given the extremism that developed in the party.. Hall Of Fame Member. We had the wonderful opportunity to interview Mr. Richards thanks to his son. Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956. Bob Richards is Illinois greatest pole vaulter in school history, while also earning a spot as one of the best U.S. vaulters in the history of the event. You have permission to edit this article. Richards retired from athletics in 1957 and became a spokesman for Wheaties cereal. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, Ravens hope to extend Lamar Jackson by Tuesday, but will consider options. That distinction, as Richards acknowledged, belonged to Cornelius Warmerdam, a Californian who used bamboo poles to set world records of about 15 feet 8 inches in the early 1940s. American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. AP Photo/Olympic World Photo, Pool, File. Atlanta Falcons release QB Marcus Mariota. Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, has . 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