Ralph Boston
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Competitor for the  United States
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1960 Rome | Long jump |
| Silver | 1964 Tokyo | Long jump |
| Bronze | 1968 Mexico City | Long jump |
| Pan American Games | ||
| Gold | 1963 Sao Paulo | Long jump |
| Gold | 1967 Winnipeg | Long jump |
Ralph Harold Boston (born May 9, 1939) is an American athlete. He was an all around athletic star, but he is best remembered for his successes in the long jump during the 1960s. He was the first person to jump 27 feet.
Boston was born in Laurel, Mississippi. As a student at Tennessee State University, he won the 1960 National Collegiate Athletic Association title in the long jump. In August of the same year, he broke the world record in the event, held by Jesse Owens for 25 years. Already the world record holder, he improved the mark past 27 feet, jumping 27' 1/2" at the Modesto Relays on May 27, 1961.[1]
He qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rome, where he took the gold medal in the long jump, setting the Olympic record at 8.12 m (26 ft 71⁄2 in), while narrowly defeating American teammate Bo Roberson by a mere centimeter.
Between the Olympic Games, Boston won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championship in the long jump in 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964. He also had the longest triple jump for an American in 1963.
He returned to the Tokyo Olympics as the world record holder after losing the record to Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, then regaining the record a couple of months before the games. In the Olympic final, Boston exchanged the lead with Ter-Ovanesyan. Going into the fifth round, Boston was leading but fouled while both Lynn Davies and Ter-Ovanesyan jumped past him. On his final jump, he was able to jump past Ter-Ovanesyan, but couldn't catch Davies, winning the silver medal.
Although Boston lost the world record again to Ter-Ovanesyan, the national title and the #1 ranking in 1968, he continued to compete. When rival Bob Beamon was suspended from the University of Texas at El Paso, for refusing to compete against Brigham Young University, alleging it had racist policies Boston began to coach him unofficially.[2] In the Mexico City Olympics, Boston watched his pupil destroy the world record by jumping 8.90 (29' 2 1/2"). Hearing the announcement in metric distances, Beamon did not know the significance of his feat. It wasn't until Boston explained he had broken the world record by almost two feet that Beamon collapsed to his knees. Perhaps the second most famous photo (besides the jump itself) sent around the world from that event, is of Boston and Davies supporting a sobbing Beamon.[3]
At 29 the veteran won a bronze medal, finishing third behind Beamon and Klaus Beer, completing his set of medals. Shortly after these Games, Boston retired.
Boston was the field event reporter for the CBS Sports Spectacular coverage of domestic track and field events.[4]
A Los Angeles Times article on Boston (August 2, 2010), coinciding roughly with the 50th anniversary of his initial world record, described him as a divorced great-grandfather who is writing an autobiography. He divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia and Knoxville, Tennessee.
References
- ↑ http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910830&slug=1302746
- ↑ Bob Beamon Biography at thehistorymakers.com
- ↑ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/28/914652/-Top-Comments-1968-Olympics-edition#
- ↑ http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=848
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jesse Owens |
Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 12, 1960 – June 10, 1962 |
Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
| Preceded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 15, 1964 – October 19, 1967 |
Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Rafer Johnson |
Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1961 |
Succeeded by Peter Snell |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Unknown |
Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1960 — 1961 |
Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
| Preceded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1963 — 1965 |
Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan |
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