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Ralph Boston 1939 - 2023

Ralph Harold Boston of Laurel, Mississippi United States was born on May 9, 1939 in Laurel, and died at age 83 years old on April 30, 2023 in Peachtree City, Fayette County, GA.

Ralph Harold Boston

Laurel, Mississippi United States

May 9, 1939

Laurel, Mississippi, United States

April 30, 2023

Peachtree City, Fayette County, Georgia, United States

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Ralph Boston Ralph Boston (1939 - 2023)

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Ralph Harold Boston's History: 1939 - 2023

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OLYMPIAN - 3 MEDALS FOR TRACK & FIELD 1960 Olympics. Ralph Boston Full name Ralph Harold Boston Born May 9, 1939 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S. Died April 30, 2023 (aged 83) Peachtree City, Georgia, U.S. Height 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (187 cm)[1] Weight 163 lb (74 kg)[1] 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 bests 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)[1] Medal record Representing the United States Olympic Games Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome Long jump Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo Long jump Bronze medal – third place 1968 Mexico City Long jump Pan American Games Gold medal – first place 1963 Sao Paulo Long jump Gold medal – first place 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.[2] Athletic career Ralph Boston, Lynn Davies, and Igor Ter-Ovanesyan at the 1964 Summer Olympics Boston qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rome, where he won the gold medal in the long jump, setting the Olympic record at 8.12 m (26 ft 7+1⁄2 in), while narrowly defeating American teammate Bo Roberson by a mere centimeter.[1] 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.[1] Boston's final record improvement to 8.35 m 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.[3] Beamon took the 1968 National Championships. At the 1968 Olympics, Boston watched his pupil obliterate the tied world record by jumping 8.90 m (29 ft 2+1⁄4 in). Boston was then 29 years old. He won a bronze medal behind Beamon and Klaus Beer and retired from competitions shortly thereafter.[1] 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.[4] 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 & Paralympic Hall of Fame in 1985.[5] Later years Boston participated in the raising of the Olympic flag for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and by 1997, Boston had moved into Peachtree City, Georgia.[6] 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.[7] Boston died of complications from a stroke at his home in Peachtree City on April 30, 2023, at the age of 83.[8][9] References Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ralph Boston". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021. "Powell Leaps Past Beamon – Long Jumper Tops 23-Year-Old Mark". Seattle Times. August 30, 1991. Retrieved June 17, 2015. Bob Beamon Biography Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine at thehistorymakers.com Betty Bean, "The Jackie Walker Story", Metro Pulse, November 22, 2007. Accessed at the Internet Archive, October 2, 2015. Carroll Van West, "Ralph Boston," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: June 20, 2014. "Olympic great Ralph Boston, Peachtree City resident, dies at 83". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Crowe, Jerry (August 2, 2010). "Fifty years ago, Ralph Boston leaped his way into history". Los Angeles Times. Rifkin, Glenn (May 2023). "Ralph Boston, Olympian Who Soared Into the Record Books, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023. Organ, Mike. "Tennessee State and Olympic track great Ralph Boston, who set world long jump record, dies at 83". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 30, 2023. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ralph Boston. Ralph Boston at World AthleticsEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)Edit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at Olympics.comEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at OlympediaEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall of FameEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at the Mississippi Sports Hall of FameEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at the Tennessee Sports Hall of FameEdit on Wikidata Ralph Boston at the Team USA Hall of Fame (archive June 4, 2023) Awards and achievements Preceded by United States Jesse Owens Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 12, 1960 – June 10, 1962 Succeeded by Soviet Union Igor Ter-Ovanesyan Preceded by Soviet Union Igor Ter-Ovanesyan Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 15, 1964 – October 19, 1967 Succeeded by Soviet Union Igor Ter-Ovanesyan Awards Preceded by United States Rafer Johnson Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1961 Succeeded by New Zealand Peter Snell Sporting positions Preceded by Unknown Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1960, 1961 Succeeded by Soviet Union Igor Ter-Ovanesyan Preceded by United States Phil Shinnick Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1964, 1965 Succeeded by Soviet Union Igor Ter-Ovanesyan vte Olympic champions in men's long jump vte Pan American Champions in men's long jump vte US National Championship winners in men's long jump vte 1960 USA Olympic track and field team vte 1964 USA Olympic track and field team vte 1968 USA Olympic track and field team vte USTFCCCA Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame
05/9

1939

Birthday

May 9, 1939

Birthdate

Laurel, Mississippi United States

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04/30

2023

Death

April 30, 2023

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Peachtree City, Fayette County, Georgia United States
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Ralph Boston lived 12 years longer than the average family member when died at the age of 83.

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Ralph Boston lived 12 years longer than the average family member when died at the age of 83.

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In 1939, in the year that Ralph Boston was born, on the 1st of September, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. On September 17th, the Soviet Union invaded Poland as well. Poland expected help from France and the United Kingdom, since they had a pact with both. But no help came. By October 6th, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany held full control of the previously Polish lands. Eventually, the invasion of Poland lead to World War II.

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In 1959, by the time he was 20 years old, on August 8th, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. The US flag was changed to show 50 stars.

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Other Biographies

Other Ralph Boston Biographies

Boston, Ralph (Aug 26, 1899 - Mar 1977) Boston, Ralph (Mar 16, 1904 - Jun 1987) Boston, Ralph (Mar 26, 1923 - Mar 1981) Boston, Ralph (Oct 3, 1900 - Nov 1966) Boston, Ralph (Jul 14, 1925 - Apr 24, 2001) Boston, Ralph (Oct 21, 1939 - Dec 10, 2007) Boston, Ralph (Oct 22, 1961 - Jul 12, 1995)

Boston, Ralph (Jun 18, 1931 - Sep 16, 2009) Boston, Ralph (Oct 14, 1905 - Jan 1969) Boston, Ralph (Nov 10, 1911 - Mar 1967) Boston, Ralph (Oct 5, 1914 - Jan 31, 1988) Boston, Ralph (Jul 14, 1933 - Oct 9, 1991) Boston, Ralph (Aug 8, 1898 - Oct 1981) Boston, Ralph (Sep 10, 1917 - Dec 1969)

Other Boston Family Biographies

Boston, Dennis Boston, Joyce Boston, Ernest (Dec 28, 1897 - Jan 1966) Boston, Eva (Aug 10, 1893 - Jun 1966) Boston, Clarence (Apr 13, 1917 - May 4, 2002) Boston, Charles (Jul 3, 1920 - Mar 9, 1988) Boston, Harriet (Dec 8, 1941 - Jan 16, 2008) Boston, Henry (Jul 12, 1946 - Feb 10, 2005) Boston, Julie (Apr 25, 1958 - Jun 1973) Boston, Hazel (Nov 15, 1901 - Mar 1985)

Boston, Alice (Oct 27, 1904 - Feb 25, 1991) Boston, Ernest (Jan 2, 1900 - Mar 1987) Boston, Howard (Mar 1, 1924 - Jan 24, 1994) Boston, Carlton (May 11, 1925 - Jan 7, 2003) Boston, George (Feb 3, 1931 - Jun 19, 2003) Boston, Julia (Mar 16, 1884 - Sep 1968) Boston, Michael (Dec 6, 1983 - Jun 4, 2010) Boston, Brianna (Apr 15, 1995 - May 14, 2001) Boston, Henry (Sep 4, 1918 - Dec 1983) Boston, Ralph (Sep 10, 1917 - Dec 1969)

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Ralph Boston 1939 - 2023

Ralph Harold Boston's History: 1939 - 2023

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