Ralph Boston

Ralph Boston (* 9. May 1939 in Laurel , Mississippi ) is a former American track and field athlete in long jump , Olympic champion and world record holder.

Boston was on the podium at three Olympic Games . 1960 he won in Rome with 8.12 meters gold medal, in 1964 followed in Tokyo silver with 8.03 meters behind the British Lynn Davies , who continue jumped four centimeters. Among the games of 1968 traveled Boston as the reigning world record holder in the role of favorites to. He had set up the best distance of 8.35 meters three years earlier in Modesto . After Bob Beamon's " jump of the century" over 8.90 meters in the first round, however, it was clear that Boston would not repeat the success of 1960. He brought it to 8.16 meters and thus achieved bronze behind the GDR athlete Klaus Beer .

1960 surpassed Boston with 8.21 m the world record of Jesse Owens from 1935 cm to eighth By 1965 he improved the world record four times to a width of 8.35 m.