Richards competed at the 1948, '52 and '56 Olympics in the pole vault. Robert Eugene Bob Richards (born February 20, 1926) is an American athlete who 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. Low near 40F. T. HE POLE VAULT -- the most technologically advanced, adventure-filled event in track and field -- represents all the innocence, bravado, and magic of childhood. He won the Helms Foundation Trophy and James E. Sullivan Award in 1951 as the outstanding amateur athlete in America. His father worked as a telephone lineman, and his mother was a homemaker. He also appeared on a Wheaties box. He was 97. Wacos Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic gold medals in pole vaulting, died Sunday at age 97, his son Brandon confirmed in a social media post. He competed in the 1948 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956. Lakers concerned injured LeBron James may miss more than a week. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. His father was a telephone lineman. Please use the button below to manage your account. In New York, chefs are redefining it. article ul li { list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; } Richards won or tied in the pole vault at Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meets nine times (194857). Richards served as a spokesman for General Mills from 1956 to 70. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. Richards was also a family man, and all four of his sons followed in their fathers footsteps as pole vaulters. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, Ravens hope to extend Lamar Jackson by Tuesday, but will consider options. 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. 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.. There is no feeling in the world that can match it, Richards said in 2016. Arrest warrant issued for NFL prospect Jalen Carter on reckless driving, racing charges. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. Robert E. "Bob" Richards came to Bridgewater in 1944 and was a two-sport athlete. 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. I cant do anything. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. INDIANAPOLIS (AP)Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. He also won decathlon championships in the 1951 and 195455 AAU meets. Larry Keller. Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 - February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. Robert Eugene 'Bob' Richards nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar or the Pole Vaulting Parson in his competitive days was a versatile athlete who made three US Olympic Teams in two events. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 1 eight times in an . Some clouds. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. Richards also competed as a decathlete . You have permission to edit this article. Travis Scott caught on camera howling Back the f*** up at DJ before alleged nightclub assault, Jimmy Kimmel: Im fighting to lose weight before Oscars because I looked like a homemade sausage!, Olivia Wilde ready to date again after Harry Styles split but only with amazing guy, Drug task force arrests Mt. He added that his father "always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. His success in the air, combined with wholesome looks and an upbeat ministerial eloquence, made Mr. Richards a fixture in American households. Sam Kendricks (Nik) 19-2 | 5.85: 2t. He took gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Richards was the first athlete to appear on the front of the Wheaties cereal box in 1958 and was a national promoter of physical fitness. Its the climax of all your dreams. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Atlanta Falcons release QB Marcus Mariota. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. 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. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . Growing up, he excelled in sports. from Illinois. Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic gold medals for pole vaulting, died at 97 on Sunday. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The last UAW strike against Caterpillar was in 1994 and lasted 18 months. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a . 1 in final CT wrestling poll for second straight year, 2023 NHC Boys Hockey Tournament Schedule / Scoreboard, Girls ice hockey top performances from conference tournaments, GameTimeCT Top 10 Girls Basketball Poll (March 1), CIAC boys basketball tournament scoreboard and schedule, UConn men kick off March with last home game of season vs. DePaul, CT native named Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Latest GameTimeCT Top 10 Boys Hockey Poll, son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father, release he held the ranking as the No. Don't knowingly lie about anyone She died in 2019. Robert Eugene "Bob" Richards (born February 20, 1926), nicknamed the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was an American athlete who was known for pole vaulting in the Olympics.He competed in the 1948 (where he won a bronze medal), 1952 (gold medal), and 1956 Summer Olympics (gold medal) as a pole vaulter, and as a decathlete in 1956. Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Pole vault. The UAW made an announcement on its website. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. The Rev. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. You can cancel at any time. He married the college presidents niece, Mary Leah Cline, in 1946. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, died Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Even Richards son Brandon, as a teenager using a fiberglass pole in 1985, vaulted 18 feet 2 inches, which was then a national record for a high schooler and stood for 14 years. His image was on Wheaties boxes from 1958 to 1970, and from 1958 to 1972 he was a ubiquitous presence on television and radio and made numerous national tours, speaking to school and community groups, presenting awards at athletic banquets and generating torrents of publicity. Ex-NFL star Irv Cross, who died in 2021, diagnosed with CTE. One recent night, Sports Illustrated wrote in 1968, Mr. Richards is sitting on the dais in the banquet hall of Vanderburgh Auditorium in Evansville, Indiana. He was 97. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, has died. Be Nice. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? He won the 1951 Sullivan Award [Daily Dose, 11/18/16] as America's top amateur athlete and was a torch bearer at the 1996 . 1967 Winnipeg. History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. Pole vaulter Rev. He is the only two-time male Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault, and also won gold medals at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games, while earning silver in the decathlon at the 55 Pan American Games. A year later, General Mills tapped him as its pitchman on the front of Wheaties cereal boxes and in television commercials. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will not play Tuesday due to his recent right foot injury, the team announced. The Populist Party sought to abolish income taxes and the Federal Reserve Bank. 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. USA Track . His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. In fact, as a youth Richards, the son of a broken home, had run with a gang of thieves and brawlers, and five of his friends went to prison for robbery. Eighteen salesmen received awards. If youve got a little tiny goal, a little tiny challenge, youll never make it., He brought up the boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, who was famous for saying, Im the greatest!, You know how important it is to feel that way about yourself? Mr. Richards said. Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a contract, possibly averting a strike. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals don't plan to trade wide receiver Tee Higgins and consider the notion "ridiculous," director of player personnel Duke Tobin said Tuesday in Indianapolis. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. Besides winning two gold medals in the Olympics in the 1950s, he took a bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics in London and gold at the Pan American Games in 1951 and 1955. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Feb. 20, 1926 - Feb. 26, 2023. At 20, he had been ordained a minister of the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and the news media had reflexively called him the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Packers await Rodgers' decision on future, cite potential contract restructuring. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. I was lucky to even place, Richards told the Tribune-Herald in a 2016 interview. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals, died at age 97 . I bawled like a baby., In many ways, the Summer Olympics are the Halleys Comet of sporting events. Matt Ludwig (unat) 19- | 5.80: 5. 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. A Facebook post . Richards passed at the age of 97 "peacefully in his sleep and surrounded by loved ones" according to his son Brandon's social media post.. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Class Of 1983, Olympian. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. During his travels, Mr. Richards became frustrated that the American Dream was slipping away for farmers and blue-collar workers struggling to buy homes and hold steady jobs. Be Truthful. Hospital food is a punchline. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals and the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box, died at age 97 on Sunday. He was 97. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bob Richards: 15-1 . The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. After a difficult adolescence and the breakup of his home by divorce, he was reared by a minister in the Church of the Brethren. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. 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