Charles Everett "Charlie" Dumas (February 12, 1937 – January 5, 2004) was an American high jumper, the 1956 Olympic champion, and the first person to clear 7 ft.(2.13 m)[1]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | ||
Representing the  United States
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1956 Melbourne | High Jump |
| Pan American Games | ||
|
1959 Chicago | High Jump |
Biography
editDumas started his jumping career as a student first at Thomas Jefferson High School in South Central Los Angeles for 2 years. As a sophomore, he finished tied for 4th place at the 1953 CIF California State Meet for Jefferson. As a junior and senior he jumped for Centennial High School in Compton finishing second in 1954 and winning the state championship by four and a half inches in 1955.[2] He was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1955.[3]
While attending Compton College, near Los Angeles, Dumas, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, made his memorable jump on June 29, 1956, in the US Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, breaking a barrier previously thought unbreakable.
This jump not only ensured him of a place in the American Olympic team, but also made him the top favorite for the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He did not disappoint, and grabbed the title in a new Olympic Record.[4]
Next, he enrolled at the University of Southern California, winning the NCAA track and field title with the university team in 1958. In 1960, Dumas competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, but a knee injury during the competition prevented him from winning a second medal, finishing 6th.
After his career, in which he won five consecutive national high jump titles,[5] Dumas became a teacher, working at several schools in the Los Angeles area (including Jordan High School in Watts).
He died of cancer at age 66 in Inglewood, California. He left behind three children: Keasha, Kyle and Ianna.
References
edit- ^ Litsky, Frank (17 January 2004). "Charles Dumas, 66, Champion High Jumper". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Track & Field News - the Bible of the Sport Since 1948". Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Charlie Dumas". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
- ^ "USATF - Statistics - USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
External links
edit- Charles Dumas at World Athletics
- Charles Dumas at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)
- Charles Dumas at Olympics.com
- Charles Dumas at Olympedia
