The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Brandon Richards said that his father gave over 25,000 motivational speeches to companies and organizations. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. His father was a telephone lineman. Then, for the next hour, the floor was his. Bob Richards 1951.jpg 455 731; 156 KB. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Upload media . 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. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. Bob Richards. His father worked as a telephone lineman, and his mother was a homemaker. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. The Buffalo Sabres' mostly injury-free season at forward took a decidedly darker turn Saturday night when the club placed top-line right winge. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. 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. Hall Of Fame Member. Several of his children and grandchildren became competitive pole vaulters, surpassing his 15 feet 6 inches by several feet - though they werent vaulting with a metal pole. There is no feeling in the world that can match it, Richards said in 2016. Bob Richards was the second man to vault 15 feet and, like the first man over this height, Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam, he dominated the event for a number of years. Keep it Clean. That marriage ended in divorce. Although he broke Olympic records and Russian hearts, and he became one of Americas most lionized and familiar celebrities a motivational speaker and Wheaties pitchman who personified wholesome values and once ran for president of the United States on a third party ticketRichards, even at the peak of his athletic power, was not the greatest American pole-vaulter of all time. USA Track . His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". He won the Helms Foundation Trophy and James E. Sullivan Award in 1951 as the outstanding amateur athlete in America. A Facebook post by his son Brandon said that Richards "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones." Richards competed at the 1948, '52 . 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. article ul li { list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; } Bob Richards of La Verne . Dozens killed after ship carrying migrants wrecks off Italy coast. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic gold medals for pole vaulting, died at 97 on Sunday. accounts, the history behind an article. He was 97. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, the team announced Tuesday. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. 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.. He dove. 2021 (Eugene, Oregon, June 21) 1. T. HE POLE VAULT -- the most technologically advanced, adventure-filled event in track and field -- represents all the innocence, bravado, and magic of childhood. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. He was 97. [1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only . Jeff's good friend and old training partner, Brandon Richards had an 8th grade son that vaulted at the school that Jeff was coaching at. 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. The year 1951 also saw Richards become just the second man in history to clear the 15-foot mark in the pole vault, which he accomplished at the Millrose Games, and subsequently . He motivated millions of people to achieve their dreams through positive sports stories, Brandon wrote. Anonymous - pool, Olympic World Photo Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, UConn men roll over DePaul in home finale, Former UConn men's basketball coach Fred Shabel has died, Xavier No. I went over the crossbar by a foot. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. 2023 University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. He also won decathlon championships in the 1951 and 195455 AAU meets. It is a Monday night, and he is to address the annual awards dinner of the Evansville Sales and Marketing Executives Club, attended by some 200 salesmen and their ladies.. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. He also appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal. 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. Richards competed at the 1948, '52 and '56 Olympics in the pole vault. Richards ran for president in 1984. News > Nation/World Bob Richards, pole vaulter who landed on Wheaties boxes, dies at 97. INDIANAPOLIS, March 1 (UPI) -- The Baltimore Ravens hope to agree to a contract extension with Lamar Jackson before the NFL's March 7 franchise tag deadline, general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine. Wrote Brandon Richards of his dad: We lost a national treasure. He added that his father always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. Bob Richards was born on 20 February 1926 in Champaign, Illinois, USA. Growing up, he excelled in sports. 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. They each will now pursue consideration to be the No. He took gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. July 15, 2010. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. 1 overall pick in the 2023 and are committed to quarterback Justin Fields next season, general manager Ryan Poles told reporters Tuesday in Indianapolis. 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. Don't Threaten. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. 0. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Share with Us. 1 pole vaulter, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. "He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly.". ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Second winter storm could hit parts of CT Friday, National Weather Service says, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. Mr. Richardss daughter said her father regretted running on the Populist Party ticket given the extremism that developed in the party.. Took 1st Place and Gold Medal in Pole Vault at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. General Mills. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson appear headed for the April 4 election. 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. Staff report. Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. Survivors include three children from his first marriage, Carol Stasiewicz of Reno, Nev., Robert Richards Jr. of Garden Grove, Calif., and Paul Richards of Waco, Tex. 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. He fared much better in his next two Olympic appearances. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. In a matter of minutes he has the Evansville salesmen in his grip. 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. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. 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. 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. RICHARDS, Robert Eugene ("Bob") (b. Packers await Rodgers' decision on future, cite potential contract restructuring. 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. The last UAW strike against Caterpillar was in 1994 and lasted 18 months. The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. 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. 1 pole vaulter. Bobbing and weaving, his forehead glistening with perspiration, he is Rocky Marciano on the attack against Archie Moore. Robert Eugene Richards is an American retired athlete, minister, and politician. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you want to get a clear picture, Mr. Richards once said, give todays vaulters a stiff pole.. In the same period he also won eight indoor championships. But they didnt believe they could win the Olympics. Family, friends and pole vault community, I am heartbroken to say that my . How close is Florida's Trinity Thomas to the NCAA's perfect 10 record? 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. Bob Richards . 20 February 1926 in Champaign, Illinois), versatile track and field athlete who was the only man to win two Olympic pole vault titles, and who used his ministry and celebrity status to motivate millions of Americans.Richards was the third of five children of Leslie Richards, a telephone linesman, and Margaret Palfrey Richards, a homemaker. American Bob Richards waves his hands to the crowd after winning the pole vault final at the Olympic Stadium at the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 26, 1956. Richards is survived by two sons, Paul and Robert Jr., and a daughter, Carol Stasiewicz, from his first marriage; two sons, Thomas and Brandon, and a daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, from his second; a brother, Kenny; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. 1 eight times in an . I cant do anything. He was 97. Use the 'Report' link on Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. Article. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. or anything. Bob Richards 1951 (cropped).jpg 345 503; 81 KB. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. 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