- Bob Seagren
Robert ("Bob") Seagren (born
October 17 ,1946 ) was an Americanpole vault er, the 1968 Olympic champion.A native of
Pomona, California , Bob Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. Indoors he posted eight world bests between 1966 and 1969. He was also thePan American Games champion in 1967. He jumped his firstworld record (5.32 m) in Fresno onMay 14 ,1966 , followed by his world records 1967 inSan Diego (5.36 m), 1968 inSouth Lake Tahoe (5.41 m) and 1972 in Eugene (5.63 m).In 1968, Bob Seagren participated in his first
Olympic Games inMexico City . In an exciting contest, he won the gold medal with the top three vaulters, including silver medallistClaus Schiprowski (West Germany ) and the bronze medal winnerWolfgang Nordwig (East Germany ) reaching the same height (5.40 m).Four years later, in
Munich , he's best remembered for the Olympic gold medal he didn't get. In the1972 Summer Olympics , a last-minute ruling barred the new "banana-Pole" from Olympic competition, forcing some vaulters, including Seagren, to compete with unfamiliar poles. East German Wolfgang Nordwig didn't use a "Cata-Pole" and won the gold medal, with Seagren coming second. It was the first time an American had failed to win the Olympic gold medal in the pole vault.A 1968
University of Southern California graduate, Seagren took a try atprofessional track and later he started his career intelevision and movies as a show host andsoap opera actor .Seagren won the inaugural American "
Superstars " sports competition in 1973 as well as the first "World Superstars" in 1977, his lone victories in both events.Bob Seagren went on to become an actor, appearing in several movies and television shows, including the controversial sitcom "Soap" in 1978 in which he played Dennis Phillips, a
gay football player in a relationship withBilly Crystal 's characterJodie Dallas .Today, he is CEO of International City Racing, which specializes in the development, management, and implementation of
road racing ,endurance , and fitness events, including the "Long Beach International City Marathon". He is also an active supporter of the Commission on Athletics of the California Community Colleges.External links
* [http://vm.mtsac.edu/relays/HallFame/Seagren.htm Relays Hall of Fame]
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