Ralph Boston

Medal record
Men's athletics
Competitor for the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1960 Rome	Long jump
Silver	1964 Tokyo	Long jump
Bronze	1968 Mexico City	Long jump
Pan American Games
Gold	1963 Sao Paulo	Long jump
Gold	1967 Winnipeg	Long jump

Ralph Harold Boston (born May 9, 1939 in Laurel, Mississippi) is an American athlete. He was an all around athletic star, but he is best remembered for his successes in the long jump during the 1960s.

As a student at Tennessee State University, Boston won the 1960 National Collegiate Athletic Association title in the long jump. In August of the same year, he broke the world record in the event, held by Jesse Owens for 25 years. He qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rome, where he took the gold medal in the long jump.

Between the Olympic Games, Boston won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championship in the long jump in 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964. He also had the longest triple jump for an American in 1963.

Although Boston lost both the national title and the #1 ranking in 1968, he continued to compete. At 29, he won a bronze, finishing third behind Bob Beamon and Klaus Beer at the 1968 Summer Olympics at Mexico City. Shortly after these Games, Boston retired.

A Los Angeles Times article on Boston (August 2, 2010), coinciding roughly with the 50th anniversary of his initial world record, described him as a divorced great-grandfather who is writing an autobiography. He divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia and Knoxville, Tennessee.

References

• Profile

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan	Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 15, 1964 – October 19, 1967	Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan
Awards
Preceded by Rafer Johnson	Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1961	Succeeded by Peter Snell
Sporting positions
Preceded by Unknown	Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1960 — 1961	Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan
Preceded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan	Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance 1963 — 1965	Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan