Bob Richards

Bob Richards
Bob Richards in 1951
Personal details
Born	Robert Eugene Richards (1926-02-20)February 20, 1926 Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 26, 2023(2023-02-26) (aged 97)
Political party	Populist (1984–1996) American Freedom (2010–2023)
Alma mater	University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Sports career
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
Sport	Pole vault, decathlon
Club	LAAC, Los Angeles
Sports achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	HJ – 1.91 m (1954) PV – 4.72 m (1957) LJ – 7.09 m (1954)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1956 Melbourne Pole vault 1952 Helsinki Pole vault 1948 London Pole vault Pan American Games 1951 Buenos Aires Pole vault 1955 Mexico City Pole vault 1955 Mexico City Decathlon

Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 – February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956.^[1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the first male two-time champion in the event in Olympic history (a feat only equalled in 2024 by Armand Duplantis).

While still an active athlete, Richards became an ordained minister. He ran for President of the United States in 1984 on the Populist Party ticket.

While Richards is known for his extraordinary athleticism, that led to his appearing for many years on "Wheaties" cereal boxes and as a result, he became the "face" of that cereal for many years, particularly during the 1960s.