Dick Fosbury Looks Forward to Rio

(ATR) It's been nearly 50 years since Dick Fosbury won Olympic high jump gold in Mexico City, adeptly executing his wondrous back-first ‘flop’ technique.

The 69-year-old Fosbury, the former president of the World Olympians Association between 2007-2011, will go to Rio de Janeiro to serve as an ambassador for Adidas and also in his role as vice-president of the United States Olympians and Paralympians Association (USOPA).

"It’s always exciting and you can never predict what’s going to happen, which is why I love sport," Fosbury said of the Olympic Games in an interview with Around the Rings. "It’s the excitement of the unknown – to expect the unexpected."

In light of some of the difficulties that the South American host city faces – economic and political turmoil as well as fear over the Zika virus – Fosbury said he is looking forward to the Games, albeit with trepidation.

"It may not be a perfect Games, but I think sport fans and people that are reasonably flexible – we have expectations, but we know with going to an event like this there is always the surprise that will happen," Fosbury said of Rio 2016.

"I’m nervous like most spectators and visitors to go down there, but more important I have this excitement to go and experience it," he said.

Fosbury draws parallels between Rio and his first Olympic experience in Mexico City 1968.

"It was the first time the Olympic Games were in a third world country and it opened my eyes," the former Olympic high jump champ told ATR. "I’m comfortable and that’s why I’m excited and motivated to go and have a fantastic time."

IAAF Decision on Russians in Rio

Fosbury opined on the allegations of state-sponsored doping and related cover-ups by Russian Athletics, and the critical decision that IAAF will make regarding the status of the suspended team competing in Rio this Friday in Vienna.

"The punishment needs to be severe enough that the lessons have to be learned and the policing needs to be at the athlete level – they have to be the eyes and ears," Fosbury said regarding Friday’s verdict and preventing future doping in the sport, while asserting his trust in IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

"Sport reflects our culture and there has to be a severe punishment when you have an institution that has been cheating, but at the same time [he hopes] there is an overview by the IOC to consider fairly as an example for the rest of the world to allow clean athletes to compete," he said.

Fosbury applauded the current doping system administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

"They’ve figured out a system with out of competition testing that is beginning to have an impact on the athletes – whether to play fair or be tempted because of the money and the fame, which is such a huge temptation," he said of USADA.

"It’s fascinating how complex our culture is and the conflicts that we have, but the principle of fair play is so clear to me and that is the overriding guiding principle that we need to maintain," Fosbury said.

For more on ATR's interview with Fosbury, including his revelation that he is working on a new high jump technique, click here.

Written by Brian Pinelli

Homepage photo: Dick Fosbury

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