Jumped To Gold

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Monday) to an Olympic champion in one of the jumping events who turns 86 today. This champion competed in two Olympic Games and won gold in the first of those two Games.

Name our birthday champion for this first Monday of April.

[dukehjsteve]

Charles Dumas fills the bill.

[tandfman]

Dumas is now deceased. I assume that would have been mentioned if it were he.

[DoubleRBar]

That's right, tandfman, Dumas died about 15 years ago and our birthday athlete was born about four years before Charlie Dumas. I will tell you that both athletes won Olympic gold in the same event.

[KDFINE]

1933? Sounds like Robert Shavlakadsze.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 86th birthday today to Robert Shavlakadze. Of course he won the 1960 Rome high jump in what can easily be described as an upset. Shavlakadze cleared a lifetime best to win the Olympic gold medal in Italy. Nice job, KDFINE.

[Pego]

That Rome HJ competition of Thomas vs the three Russians (well, Shavlakadze was Georgian) was one of the best ever.

[bambam1729]

That Rome HJ competition of Thomas vs the three Russians (well, Shavlakadze was Georgian) was one of the best ever.

Who was the 3rd Soviet jumper that year, and what is he best known for in T&F??

[KDFINE]

Who was the 3rd Soviet jumper that year, and what is he best known for in T&F??

Victor Bolshov.
What's he best known for? I once had a better idea as to the answer but that was more than 50 years ago. Was he 4th twice in the Olympics or something similar, or did he finish above Brumel and Shavlakadsze at their Olympic Trials?

[bambam1729]

Victor Bolshov.
What's he best known for? I once had a better idea as to the answer but that was more than 50 years ago. Was he 4th twice in the Olympics or something similar, or did he finish above Brumel and Shavlakadsze at their Olympic Trials?

That's not it. He finished 4th in 1960 but didn't make the final in 1964.

[bambam1729]

Sorry - Bolshov is correct but not the rest of your answer

[bambam1729]

Sorry - I think I have this wrong and am thinking of the wrong guy. But Viktor Bolshov was the 3rd Soviet high jumper in 1960

[gh]

Suspect you were thinking of Yuriy Stepanov, he of built-up shoe fame

[DoubleRBar]

That's not it. He finished 4th in 1960 but didn't make the final in 1964.

He didn't make the final in 1964 because he didn't make the Soviet team to Tokyo. He did compete in Mexico City (1968) and didn't make that final.

[bambam1729]

Suspect you were thinking of Yuriy Stepanov, he of built-up shoe fame

Exactly who I was thinking of.