Jim Fuchs

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Medal record
Men's Athletics
Competitor for Flag of the United States United States
Olympic Games
Bronze London 1948 Shot Put
Bronze Helsinki 1952 Shot Put
Pan American Games
Gold Buenos Aires 1951 Shot Put
Gold Buenos Aires 1951 Discus Throw

James ("Jim") Emanuel Fuchs (born 6 December 1927 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American athlete who mainly competed in the shot put.

He competed for the United States atthe 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain, where he won the bronze medal in the men's shot put event. He repeated this with his second bronze medal in the shot put at the 1952 Summer Olympics, held in Helsinki, Finland.

For a little more than two years, Fuchs was the best shot putter in the world. During that span, he won 88 consecutive meets and set four world records. His peak period fell between Olympics. Competing for Yale University, Fuchs won both the IC4A and NCAA championships in 1949 and 1950. He won the AAU national outdoor titles the same years and was the AAU indoor champion three years in a row, from 1950 through 1952.

During a fourteen-month period, Fuchs went on his world record spree. The first record was 58 feet, 4 1/2 inches in June of 1949 in Oslo, Norway. He extended it to 58-5 1/2 on April 29, 1950 at Los Angeles; to 58-8 3/4 on August 20, 1950, at Visby, Sweden; and to 58-10 3/4 two days later at Eskilstuna, Sweden.

[edit] References

Records
Preceded by
Flag of the United States Charles Fonville
Men's Shot Put World Record Holder
July 28, 1949May 9, 1953
Succeeded by
Flag of the United States Parry O'Brien
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