from Illinois. ; a brother; and 31 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The group, which includes 810 residents, fellows and interns at UB, announced their intent to organize with the Union of American Physicians a. 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The last UAW strike against Caterpillar was in 1994 and lasted 18 months. 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. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. February 28, 2023 at 11:15 a.m. EST. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson appear headed for the April 4 election. Richards competed at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics in the pole vault, and eventually appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal. ; three children from his second marriage, Brandon Richards and Thomas Richards, both of China Spring, Tex., and Tammy Richards LeSure of Mansfield, Tex. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. A Facebook post by his son Brandon said that Richards "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, the team announced Tuesday. Hospital food is a punchline. RICHARDS, Robert Eugene ("Bob") (b. Jacob Wooten (unat) . 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. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Bob Richards, 97, pole-vaulting star, first champion on a Wheaties box. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the Olympics pole vault. 1 pick, Rep. Niemerg Office helps with Professional Licensing Applications and Renewals, Abbott Elementary: Chris Perfetti on Jacobs Mural Meltdown & Big SAG Awards Win, Bust-up! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Some clouds. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). That marriage ended in divorce. Richards was the most successful pole vaulter in U.S. track and field history, in terms of Olympic success. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois family lost one of its most decorated athletes with the passing of Bob Richards on Sunday, February 26, 2023. At the 52 Games, the United States was very much engaged in the Cold War with Russia, but Richards befriended his Russian competitors, who in turn cheered when Richards cleared the bar to claim gold. 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. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. USA Track . Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. His son Paul confirmed the death. American athletics competitor, pole vaulter. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. I bawled like a baby., In many ways, the Summer Olympics are the Halleys Comet of sporting events. He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. It is a Monday night, and he is to address the annual awards dinner of the Evansville Sales and Marketing Executives Club, attended by some 200 salesmen and their ladies.. ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Second winter storm could hit parts of CT Friday, National Weather Service says, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. March 1 (UPI) -- Veteran winger Patrick Kane says it was "bittersweet" to learn he was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Rangers, but the move puts him in a "better spot" for a fourth championship. Its the climax of all your dreams. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. If you want to get a clear picture, Mr. Richards once said, give todays vaulters a stiff pole.. 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. Boo-tiful! This big Russian picked me up and gave me a hug, and that photo was seen all over the world.. In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. He became an ordained minister and preached at churches and gatherings all over the world, earning the monikers the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. Richards became a popular and prolific public speaker who gave more than 25,000 speeches to businesses and organizations worldwide, Brandon said. His father worked as a telephone lineman, and his mother was a homemaker. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. He built a pit in his backyard, jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole. Hes out there in the middle of the fight.. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He was a three-time Olympic pole vaulter for the U.S. in 1948, 1952 and 1956, winning Gold in '52 and '56 after winning a Bronze medal in '48. He was a six-time NCAA champion and won 20 national AAU titles, including 17 in the pole vault and three in decathlon. 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. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. 1 pole vaulter, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. Baylor freshman Riley Richards' pole-vault lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1940s. Pan American Games. How close is Florida's Trinity Thomas to the NCAA's perfect 10 record? Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals, has died at age 97, according to USA Track and Field. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Richards was interested in athletics from boyhood, participating in diving and tumbling before taking up the pole vault in junior high school. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Im terrible. We wonder why we dont do anything when we dont believe we can. 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. 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. INDIANAPOLIS (AP)Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. He also appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal. He dove. He received the James E. Sullivan award in 1951 for outstanding amateur athlete. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers want to know Aaron Rodgers' 2023 playing plans within the next three weeks, but have not set a date to meet with the quarterback, general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday in Indianapolis. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. 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. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. 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. I was competing with a slippery pole.. The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. 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. 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. Bob Richards 2.jpg 801 1,000; 128 KB. Richards competed at the 1948, 52 and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. But it also came to be known for the far-right extremist views of one its founders, Willis Carto, a Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi hero. A Facebook post . Much has changed since Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vaulting champion, was Mr. Wheaties. They had never tried. If youve got a little tiny goal, a little tiny challenge, youll never make it., He brought up the boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, who was famous for saying, Im the greatest!, You know how important it is to feel that way about yourself? Mr. Richards said. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Bob Richards: 15-1 . He was 97. [1955] He also was the oldest living Olympic track and field champion before his death. 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, 2-time Olympic pole vault champion Bob Richards dies at 97. 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.. Atlanta Falcons release QB Marcus Mariota. Richards is the only man in history to win two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault, and these came after an Olympic bronze in 1948. Robert Eugene Bob Richards (born February 20, 1926) is an American athlete who 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. And the bigger your challenge, the bigger you become as a person. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. In 1958, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards became the first athlete to be featured on the front of a Wheaties box. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst. 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. Richards competed at the 1948, '52 and '56 Olympics in the pole vault. Richards' exploits in track and field earned him three Olympic medals, a record, and 20 national titles. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. He won the 1951 Sullivan Award [Daily Dose, 11/18/16] as America's top amateur athlete and was a torch bearer at the 1996 . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? When he turned 20, Mr. Richards was ordained in the Church of the Brethren. The versatile athlete known as the Vaulting Vicar also competed in the Olympic decathlon in 1956. 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. Share with Us. Bob Richards, a two-time . History of US Nationals Results: Pole Vault - Men. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . Richards was the . At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, he won a bronze medal, and he won his first gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, repeating this accomplishment at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. He was 97. Don't Threaten. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Wrote Brandon Richards of his dad: "We lost a national treasure." But pole vaulting, which he took up in junior high, was his obsession. March 1, 2023 Feb. 20, 1926 - Feb. 26, 2023. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. Chris Nilsen (Nik) 19-4 | 5.90: t2. They had never gotten on a track. He started at quarterback for his high school football team. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, Ravens hope to extend Lamar Jackson by Tuesday, but will consider options. London 1948, bronze (pole vault) Helsinki 1952, gold (pole vault) Melbourne 1956, gold (pole vault) . 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly.. 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. Richards won or tied in the pole vault at Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meets nine times (194857). Larry Keller. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. Arrest warrant issued for NFL prospect Jalen Carter on reckless driving, racing charges. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. 1. The third of five children, Robert Eugene Richards was born in Champaign, Ill., on Feb. 20, 1926. Bob Richards was born on February 20, 1926 in Champaign, Illinois, USA. 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