Ralph Boston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ralph Boston

Ralph Boston at the 1960 Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1939-05-09)May 9, 1939 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	April 30, 2023(2023-04-30) (aged 83) Peachtree City, Georgia, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1+1/2 in
Weight	163 lb
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprint, hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault,
Club	Southern California Striders, Anaheim
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 yd – 9.6 (1964) 220 yd – 22.0 (1964) 120 ydH – 13.7 (1961) HJ – 2.04 m (1962) PV – 4.16 m (1960) LJ – 8.35 m (1965) TJ – 15.89 m (1964)
Medal record Representing 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 (May 9, 1939 – April 30, 2023) was an American track athlete who received three Olympic medals and became the first person to break the 27 feet (8.2 m) barrier in the long jump.

Early years and education

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, at the Mt. SAC Relays. Already the world record holder, he improved the mark past 27 feet (8.2 m), jumping 27 feet 0.5 inches (8.242 m) at the Modesto Relays on May 27, 1961.

Athletic career

Boston 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 7.56003937 in), while narrowly defeating American teammate Bo Roberson by a mere centimeter.

Boston won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championship in the long jump six times in a row from 1961 to 1966. 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, first in Kingston, Jamaica and improving it at the 1964 Olympic Trials. 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 could not catch Davies and ended winning the silver medal.

Boston's final record improvement to 8.35m was again at the 1965 Modesto Relays. It was tied at altitude by Ter-Ovanesyan in 1967. In 1967, he lost the national title to Jerry Proctor. 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. Beamon took the 1968 National Championships. At the 1968 Olympics, Boston watched his pupil destroy the tied world record by jumping 8.90 m (29 ft 2.26870079 in). Boston was then 29 years old. He won a bronze medal behind Beamon and Klaus Beer and retired from competitions shortly thereafter. He moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, and worked for the University of Tennessee as Coordinator of Minority Affairs and Assistant Dean of Students from 1968 to 1975. He was the field event reporter for the CBS Sports Spectacular coverage of domestic track and field events. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974 and into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985.

Later years

A Los Angeles Times article on Boston from August 2, 2010, coinciding roughly with the 50th anniversary of his initial world record, described him as a divorced great-grandfather who was writing an autobiography. He split his time between Atlanta, Georgia and Knoxville.

Boston died of complications from a stroke at his home in Peachtree City, Georgia, on April 30, 2023, at the age of 83.

See also

In Spanish: Ralph Boston para niños