WOA mourns the death of former President

14 | 3 | 2023

Dick Fosbury OLY, WOA President from 2007-2011, has died at the age of 76. Fosbury won gold at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 but was best known for revolutionising the sport of high jumping by inventing the Fosbury Flop.

Following his successful sporting career Fosbury was an advocate for the values of the Olympic Movement through his coaching of young athletes around the world and his service to Olympians as President of the US Olympians and Paralympians Association and as President of WOA. He was also one of Peace and Sport’s Champions for Peace.

Fosbury was elected as the third WOA President at the WOA General Assembly in Lausanne in 2007. He retired from the WOA just before London 2012 but was always available to give advice to his successor Joel Bouzou OLY.

“Dick will be sorely missed. He was a good friend to us all and a real advocate for the core values of the Olympic Movement. I was honoured to work with him both at the WOA and at Peace and Sport. He stayed in touch after he retired from the WOA, attended OLY House and other WOA events and was always there if I needed him” said Joel Bouzou OLY.

Joel added: “The word legend is used too easily these days. But Dick was a true legend. A man who changed his sport and then after he retired continued to give back to young athletes, to his fellow Olympians and to his community. A role model for us all.”