[1952] Was the Gold Medalist in Pole Vault at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. Arrest warrant issued for NFL prospect Jalen Carter on reckless driving, racing charges. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Lakers also fear James could miss more than a week while healing. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Pole vaulter Rev. Packers await Rodgers' decision on future, cite potential contract restructuring. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Mr. Richards purchased a 300 acre ranch on the Brazos River in Waco, known as the Crossbar Ranch. 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. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. 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. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . 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The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Bob Richards, 97, pole-vaulting star, first champion on a Wheaties box. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. That marriage ended in divorce. 1 overall pick in the 2023 and are committed to quarterback Justin Fields next season, general manager Ryan Poles told reporters Tuesday in Indianapolis. 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. from Illinois. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Updated Wed., March 1, 2023 at 11:18 a.m. 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 started at quarterback for his high school football team. He motivated millions of people to achieve their dreams through positive sports stories, Brandon wrote. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. Share with Us. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 - February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. He was 97. He was 97. accounts, the history behind an article. that is degrading to another person. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. His success in the air, combined with wholesome looks and an upbeat ministerial eloquence, made Mr. Richards a fixture in American households. He also appeared on a Wheaties box. Bob Richards 1951 (cropped).jpg 345 503; 81 KB. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson appear headed for the April 4 election. 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. In his day, he was considered the greatest pole vaulter in history. He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Please use the button below to manage your account. Hes out there in the middle of the fight.. His athletic success was celebrated on the cover of Wheaties cereal boxes for 13 years after he became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box in 1958. Bears explore trade for No. Former Wheaties Spokesman Said to Back Racist Party. He was 97. Last month, union members overwhelmingly authorized union leadership to call a strike if the two sides could not reach an agreement. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. He added that his father "always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. Brandon Richards said that his father gave over 25,000 motivational speeches to companies and organizations. KC Lightfoot (Bay) 19-2 | 5.85: 4. To feel that youve got it? Family, friends and pole vault community, I am heartbroken to say that my . 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. 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. 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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. 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. Richards was the . Bob Richards. Pole vault. 1 pole vaulter. Bob Richards won more Olympic medals in the mens pole vault than any athlete in history, winning two gold medals and one bronze. The versatile athlete known as the "Vaulting Vicar" also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Can you imagine going into a boxing ring thinking, Maybe Im not the greatest?. They had never tried. Bob Richards . Richards competed at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics in the pole vault, and eventually appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal. By Robert D. McFadden 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. Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a contract, possibly averting a strike. 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. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois family lost one of its most decorated athletes with the passing of Bob Richards on Sunday, February 26, 2023. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . 1967 Winnipeg. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. 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. 1 in '79. Mr. Richardss 1946 marriage to Mary Leah Cline ended in divorce. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. You can cancel at any time. The only other person to win two Olympic pole vault titles is Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia. INDIANAPOLIS (AP)Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. In between pole vaulting competitions, he taught at LaVerne College, a Brethren-affiliated school in Southern California. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, the team announced Tuesday. He also appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal. I cant do anything. For The Hometown Register, Illinois quick hits: Pole vaulter Bob Richards passes away; Caterpillar reaches deal with union, 6 in 10 women still dont think theres enough body diversity in the media, Pritzker announces $60M park grants, declines to endorse Chicago mayor candidate, These trendy diets are the least healthy way to lose weight, AHA News: Mediterranean Lifestyle, Not Just Diet, May Greatly Improve Health, Judge clears portion of Flores v. NFL discrimination suit to proceed, Colts GM downplays desire to deal for No. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. He took gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Then, for the next hour, the floor was his. 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. Mr. Richardss daughter said her father regretted running on the Populist Party ticket given the extremism that developed in the party.. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. . His son Paul confirmed the death. He was 97. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Olympic-winning pole vaulter, pastor Bob Richards dies at 97. 2023 University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. 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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. 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. Be Nice. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. The last UAW strike against Caterpillar was in 1994 and lasted 18 months. Baylor freshman Riley Richards' pole-vault lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1940s. Richards . Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. 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. Long before modern athletes began . Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. There was a time when former Olympic athlete Bob Richards seemed the personification of the all-American man: A two-time gold medal winner in the pole vault, he was the first jock to appear on the front of boxes of Wheaties "the breakfast of champions . INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. 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. 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. 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. He was 97. 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