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 won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. 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. Richards was also a family man, and all four of his sons followed in their fathers footsteps as pole vaulters. Richards competed at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics in the pole vault, and eventually appeared on a box of . Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy. Be Nice. Mr. Richards purchased a 300 acre ranch on the Brazos River in Waco, known as the Crossbar Ranch. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. 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. His grandfather, Bob, won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1948 games in London -- the same place the . American athletics competitor, pole vaulter. He was 97. article ul li { list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; } He was a three-time Olympic medalist and the first person to ever win two gold medals in the pole vault. 1 eight times in an era when pole vaulting and other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on the front page of sports sections. 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. 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. 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.. He built a pit in his backyard, jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. In between pole vaulting competitions, he taught at LaVerne College, a Brethren-affiliated school in Southern California. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Bob Richards, a three-time olympian and the first athlete to ever be featured on a Wheaties cereal box, has died, his son said on social media. He also won decathlon championships in the 1951 and 195455 AAU meets. 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 the second person ever to pole vault over 15 feet (4.6 metres), a feat he accomplished in 1947. 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 also became involved in politics, and he was the Populist Partys presidential candidate in the 1984 election; he received approximately 66,000 votes. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. 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. Known alternatively as the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor, Mr. Richards was one of the most dominating athletes of his time, leaping as high as 15 feet 6 inches with a stiff metal pole in the days before flexible fiberglass helped Olympic vaulters cross over bars nearly 20 feet in height. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. The last UAW strike against Caterpillar was in 1994 and lasted 18 months. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He was also a football quarterback in high school. The two-time Olympic gold medalist watched as his . INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. 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 dove. 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. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals. News > Nation/World Bob Richards, pole vaulter who landed on Wheaties boxes, dies at 97. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. A year later, General Mills tapped him as its pitchman on the front of Wheaties cereal boxes and in television commercials. Mayor Lori Lightfoot came in third and becomes the first elected Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid since 1983, when Jane Byrne, the citys first female mayor, lost her Democratic primary. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. Mr. Richardss 1946 marriage to Mary Leah Cline ended in divorce. 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. Richards did it for schools in 2 statesas a junior in Texas, then as a senior in California) All in the family: 4 great pairs are represented here, topped by Mondo and his father Greg, who ranked twice, including a No. He fared much better in his next two Olympic appearances. The only other person to win two Olympic pole vault titles is Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia. I was lucky to even place, Richards told the Tribune-Herald in a 2016 interview. Mr. Richardss daughter said her father regretted running on the Populist Party ticket given the extremism that developed in the party.. The most colorful pole-vaulter . He motivated millions of people to achieve their dreams through positive sports stories, Brandon wrote. Media in category "Bob Richards" The following 7 files are in this category, out of 7 total. He began his higher education in 1944 at Bridgewater College (Virginia), where he played basketball and continued pole vaulting, and then transferred to the University of Illinois, where he received his A.B. Bob Richards Gold Medalist Monday, February 15, 2016, 7:30 p.m.. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting - and the first person ever to appear on a Wheaties cereal box - will be this year's speaker at the Hill College Alden J. Blanar Smith Speaker Series on Feb. 15 in the Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center in Hillsboro. Bob Richards 1951 (cropped).jpg 345 503; 81 KB. The Rev. The Washington Post - 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 he parlayed into a successful career as a motivational speaker, died Feb. 26 at his home in Waco, Tex. He was 97. The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. 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. Thank you for reading! Arrest warrant issued for NFL prospect Jalen Carter on reckless driving, racing charges. To this day, Richards three Olympic medals (two gold, one bronze) are more than any other mens competitor in history. Bob Richards Track and Field. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the Olympics pole vault. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Bob Richards. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Article. He was 97. "He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly.". 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. 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. Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a contract, possibly averting a strike. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. Actor: Cavalcade of America. 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. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Richards retired from athletics in 1957 and became a spokesman for Wheaties cereal. For 100 years, Wheaties has been a source of morning nutrition and . Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. T. HE POLE VAULT -- the most technologically advanced, adventure-filled event in track and field -- represents all the innocence, bravado, and magic of childhood. 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. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaker. 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. Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, You have permission to edit this article. Im terrible. We wonder why we dont do anything when we dont believe we can. His track and field legacy will endure, too. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Richards was the . INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. The versatile athlete known as the "Vaulting Vicar" also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. 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. He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. 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. He is an actor, . February 28, 2023 at 11:15 a.m. EST. Anonymous - pool, Olympic World Photo In the same period he also won eight indoor championships. that is degrading to another person. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. A Facebook post by his son Brandon said that Richards "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". racist or sexually-oriented language. Bob Richards 1951.jpg 455 731; 156 KB. 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