Wrote Brandon Richards of his dad: "We lost a national treasure." Former Wheaties Spokesman Said to Back Racist Party. To feel that youve got it? racist or sexually-oriented language. I bawled like a baby., In many ways, the Summer Olympics are the Halleys Comet of sporting events. Richards earned a bronze medal at the Olympics in 1948, then won gold in 1952 at Helsinki and in 1956 at Melbourne. Dozens killed after ship carrying migrants wrecks off Italy coast. 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. accounts, the history behind an article. 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. Ex-Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane calls trade to Rangers 'bittersweet'. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. 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, 2-time Olympic pole vault champion Bob Richards dies at 97. 1 pick, commit to quarterback Justin Fields. After finishing last season strong, CJ Abrams is ready for more, son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father, release he held the ranking as the No. 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 himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. Arrest warrant issued for NFL prospect Jalen Carter on reckless driving, racing charges. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. He was 97. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson appear headed for the April 4 election. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. Jacob Wooten (unat) . that is degrading to another person. Olympic-winning pole vaulter, pastor Bob Richards dies at 97. Use the 'Report' link on 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. In his day, he was considered the greatest pole vaulter in history. Be Nice. Took 1st Place and Gold Medal in Pole Vault at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals. 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. 1 eight times in an . Waco's 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. 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. His success in the air, combined with wholesome looks and an upbeat ministerial eloquence, made Mr. Richards a fixture in American households. 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 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 . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Hospital food is a punchline. He was 97. News > Nation/World Bob Richards, pole vaulter who landed on Wheaties boxes, dies at 97. 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. Low near 40F. Richards excelled in basketball, where he was an All Mason/Dixon selection in 1945. . Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Former NFL star cornerback Irv Cross, who died in 2021, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. 1. Pole vaulter Rev. His father worked as a telephone lineman, and his mother was a homemaker. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. AP Photo/Olympic World Photo, Pool, File 0. 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. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 1 pick, Rep. Niemerg Office helps with Professional Licensing Applications and Renewals, Abbott Elementary: Chris Perfetti on Jacobs Mural Meltdown & Big SAG Awards Win, Bust-up! 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. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. "I saw it more as a mission than a job," says Richards, who was the General Mills cereal's . March 1, 2023 Updated Wed., March 1, 2023 at 11:18 a.m.. Bob Richards was featured on a Wheaties box in the . 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. 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. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. There is no feeling in the world that can match it, Richards said in 2016. 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. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? 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. Bob Richards Track and Field. Brandon Richards said that his father gave over 25,000 motivational speeches to companies and organizations. 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 . Can you imagine going into a boxing ring thinking, Maybe Im not the greatest?. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. Robert Eugene Richards is an American retired athlete, minister, and politician. The UAW made an announcement on its website. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. 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. By then, Mr. Richards was hopscotching around the country delivering what would add up to more than 25,000 motivational speeches at sales conferences, awards dinners and corporate retreats. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the . In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. He became an ordained minister and preached at churches and gatherings all over the world, earning the monikers the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. Richards became a popular and prolific public speaker who gave more than 25,000 speeches to businesses and organizations worldwide, Brandon said. 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 year later, General Mills tapped him as its pitchman on the front of Wheaties cereal boxes and in television commercials. Matt Ludwig (unat) 19- | 5.80: 5. 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He also appeared on a Wheaties box. 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. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. 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 is an actor, known for Cavalcade of America (1952), ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961) and XIVth Olympiad: The Glory of Sport (1948). To this day, Richards three Olympic medals (two gold, one bronze) are more than any other mens competitor in history. Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. The Rev. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. person will not be tolerated. Chris Nilsen (Nik) 19-4 | 5.90: t2. With none of the nine candidates running for Chicago mayor achieving more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory, the election moves to a runoff. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . He was 97. With the ministers help, Mr. Richards enrolled at Bridgewater College, a Brethren-affiliated school in Virginia, where he dominated collegiate pole vaulting. 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. 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. Staff report. 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