INDIANAPOLIS — Dick Fosbury, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist in the men's high jump who revolutionized the event with a novel technique that still bears his name, died Sunday in Salt Lake City after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma. He turned 76 on March 6. As a high schooler in Medford, Ore., Fosbury changed high jumping forever when he developed a new technique that quickly became known as "the Fosbury Flop." The technique worked so well that Fosbury improved by one foot in high school -- from 5-3.75 to 6-3.75 -- after he first tried the "flop," which involved going over the bar headfirst and backward, with one's body horizontal to the ground. Fosbury's experiments began with him using the antiquated jump style called the "scissors," until his high school coach pressed him to use the "straddle," or "belly roll," which was then the high-jumping norm. Failing to master the straddle, Fosbury reverted to a scissors, then modified by going over the bar backward. The "flop" was born. Great things were in store for him. At Oregon State University, Fosbury first cleared 7-0 during the 1968 indoor season and won the NCAA Indoor Championships at Detroit. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Berkeley, Fosbury won with a meet record clearance of 7-2.25. Following a third-place finish at the final U.S. Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, where he cleared 2.21m/7-3, Fosbury became a surprise winner at the Mexico City Olympics in October by clearing 2.24m/7-4.25 on his final attempt to set Olympic and American records. A three-time national collegiate champion, Fosbury was top ranked in the world following his 1968 Olympic victory and in 1969 won the NCAA outdoor title before placing second in the AAU Championships. After he failed to make the 1972 Olympic team, he became a professional in 1973. He was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1981 and was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992. While Fosbury's athletic achievements will always be celebrated, it was his post-athletic career that truly distinguished him as an exceptional individual. After retiring from competition, Fosbury remained active in the sports world, serving as a member and President of the World Olympians Association. He was a passionate advocate for athlete rights and worked tirelessly to promote fair play and integrity in sports. Fosbury was also an accomplished author and public speaker, using his platform to share his insights on leadership, innovation, and success. He wrote several books on these topics, including "The Fosbury Flop: A New Philosophy for Success" and "Leap of Faith: Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Success." His speeches and presentations were equally inspiring, and he was in high demand as a keynote speaker for corporate events and conferences. After graduating from Oregon State, Fosbury helped found Sawtooth Engineers, a company that later became Galena Engineering. He served as its president until he retired in 2011. Other professional pursuits included serving as City Engineer for Ketchum and Sun Valley in Idaho, as well as overseeing design and construction of several recreational trails. He is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, and son Erich Fosbury, and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps of Hailey, Idaho, and Kristin Thompson.