INDIANAPOLIS, March 1 (UPI) -- Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and several other top pass rushers say they model their games after today's NFL stars. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. He is an actor, . ), Mr. Richards started but didnt complete a doctorate in philosophy. Bob Richards of La Verne . In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. ET. 0. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. that is degrading to another person. Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic gold medals for pole vaulting, died at 97 on Sunday. 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. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. 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. 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. Brandon`s father, Bob Richards, is to the pole vault what Babe Ruth is to the home run: a standard of comparison. [1955] 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. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Then, for the next hour, the floor was his. Long before modern athletes began . His son Paul confirmed the death. London 1948, bronze (pole vault) Helsinki 1952, gold (pole vault) Melbourne 1956, gold (pole vault) . You can cancel at any time. 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. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. Class Of 1983, Olympian. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Richards also competed as a decathlete in the 1956 Olympics. The Lakers also fear James could miss more than a week while healing. Richards . 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. 2021 (Eugene, Oregon, June 21) 1. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. 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. He transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated in 1947, the same year he tied for first in pole vaulting at the NCAA championships. Joe Dial ('81) and nephew Bruce Dial ('93) both ranked No. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Richards also became involved in politics, and he was the Populist Partys presidential candidate in the 1984 election; he received approximately 66,000 votes. If you want to get a clear picture, Mr. Richards once said, give todays vaulters a stiff pole.. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. Eighteen salesmen received awards. Carmel man on meth, weapons charges, Start-over is in the works for Mount Carmel City Pool fix plans, Richland Co. assessment multiplier issued. The most colorful pole-vaulter . In 1958, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards became the first athlete to be featured on the front of a Wheaties box. 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. Some clouds. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He was 97. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. Bob Richards was born on 20 February 1926 in Champaign, Illinois, USA. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. She died in 2019. Last month, union members overwhelmingly authorized union leadership to call a strike if the two sides could not reach an agreement. [1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only . When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Pan American Games. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Bob Richards, a two-time . Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a contract, possibly averting a strike. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. He is the only two-time male Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault, and also won gold medals at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games, while earning silver in the decathlon at the 55 Pan American Games. . 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. Updated Wed., March 1, 2023 at 11:18 a.m. Ghislaine Maxwell appeals conviction, argues she was unfair proxy for Jeffrey Epstein to satisfy public outrage over financiers jail suicide, Georgia prisons see unprecedented number of suicides , Greece in mourning after dozens die in head-on train collision , Police: UGA football staffer drunk, traveling 104 mph before fatal crash , Brothers who crashed a wedding reception are convicted of beating the groom to death , Stephanie Vigil, longtime KHQ-TV news anchor, announces June departure to travel and start pickleball clothier, Spokane rape kit leads to cold case arrest in 1979 Lake Tahoe killing, Judge allows post-conviction DNA testing in Starbuck case, Key matchup: Former four-star prospect Wesley Cardet Jr. brings versatility to small-ball Chicago State lineup. A year later, General Mills tapped him as its pitchman on the front of Wheaties cereal boxes and in television commercials. Bengals slam door on 'ridiculous' Tee Higgins trade rumors. He dove. The Rev. General Mills. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. Ex-NFL star Irv Cross, who died in 2021, diagnosed with CTE. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. Chris Nilsen (Nik) 19-4 | 5.90: t2. person will not be tolerated. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. He was 97. A Facebook post by his son Brandon said that Richards "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". American pole vaulter Bob Richards won the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in London in 1948. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. I cant do anything. He was 97. ; a brother; and 31 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". [1952] Was the Gold Medalist in Pole Vault at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. 1 in final CT wrestling poll for second straight year, 2023 NHC Boys Hockey Tournament Schedule / Scoreboard, Girls ice hockey top performances from conference tournaments, GameTimeCT Top 10 Girls Basketball Poll (March 1), CIAC boys basketball tournament scoreboard and schedule, UConn men kick off March with last home game of season vs. DePaul, CT native named Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Latest GameTimeCT Top 10 Boys Hockey Poll, son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father, release he held the ranking as the No. Wrote Brandon Richards of his dad: "We lost a national treasure." Richards was interested in athletics from boyhood, participating in diving and tumbling before taking up the pole vault in junior high school. ; three children from his second marriage, Brandon Richards and Thomas Richards, both of China Spring, Tex., and Tammy Richards LeSure of Mansfield, Tex. Robert Eugene 'Bob' Richards nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar or the Pole Vaulting Parson in his competitive days was a versatile athlete who made three US Olympic Teams in two events. (The first was Cornelius Dutch Warmerdam. Its the climax of all your dreams. In the United States presidential election, 1984 Richards ran for President of the Uni 1 vaulter for eight consecutive years. History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. In 1970, he married Vonda Joan Beaird. 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