Dick Fosbury at the 2008 Simplot Games

The 2009 Simplot Games will be held on February 19-21 in Pocatello, Idaho. Their official website can be found here.

Below is a Dick Fosbury interview from the 2008 Simplot Games that includes archival video from Fosbury’s days in high school and the 1968 Olympics.

People take it for granted when Fosbury initially developed this technique, foam high jump pits were not invented, or at least not used in High School meets. Sand or sawdust pits were still the norm as seen in the video. I’ll bet a lot of coaches and parents gasped in horror when they saw him land and possibly break his neck!

Fosbury would defend himself stating you land on your shoulders, not your neck, in a Flop.

Here are 2 older articles on Dick Fosbury. The first one is an interview from ESPN Sportzone on February, 1998. The second one is Fosbury Flop back in the news 39 years later in October 2007.

Here is the IOC official video on YouTube. A lot of people don’t realize he won in a jump-off in the 1968 Olympics.

Here is the interview with Fosbury at the 2008 Simplot Games on YouTube: