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≡ FOSBURY AND JORDAN≡
Dick Fosbury’s Olympic success revolutionized the high jump and forever changed the way the event is conducted. He astounded the crowd in Mexico City’s Estadio Olimpico on 20 October 1968, winning with an Olympic record of 2.24 m (7-4 1/4) to win over U.S. teammate Ed Caruthers, who cleared 2.22 m (7-3 1/4).
Fosbury, who lived a long and productive life in Oregon as an engineer and stayed close to the Olympic Movement through the World Olympians Association, passed away in March 2023.
Now, three mementos of his Mexico City 1968 triumph are available at Heritage Auctions in its August 23-24 Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction:
● Mexico City ‘68 Olympic gold medal, projected to bring $200,000.
● Mexico City ‘68 U.S. Olympic uniform top, projected to bring $50,000.
● Mexico City ‘68 Olympic participation medal, a rare example with a ribbon and clamshell presentation case, projected to bring $20,000.
Initial bidding will end on 23 August at 10 p.m. Central time.
The auction has more than a dozen Olympic-related items, including:
● 1900 Paris medals for shooting (three separate lots)
● 1912 Stockholm Olympic tickets on three days when Jim Thorpe competed
● 1936 Berlin Olympic tickets on three days when Jesse Owens competed
● 1984 Olympic Games tickets for two games in which Michael Jordan played
● 1984 Los Angeles Olympic torch, projected to bring $2,000
● 2016 Rio Olympic torch, projected to bring $20,000
While Michael Jordan became an icon thanks to his basketball prowess and relentless promotion by Nike, he wore Converse during the 1984 Olympic tournament as his Nike relationship was in the future.
The auction has a pair of Converse shoes worn by Jordan during the 1984 Olympic tournament are also up, expected to bring $40,000 and up. The shoes were gifted by Jordan to Patrick Knight, son of U.S. coach Bobby Knight, after the U.S.’s 96-65 gold-medal win over Spain.
Eight years later, Jordan won a second Olympic gold as part of the original “Dream Team” at the 1992 Barcelona Games, by that time fully engaged with Nike.
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