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Ralph Boston

Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
	1960 Rome	Long Jump
	1964 Tokyo	Long Jump
	1968 Mexico City	Long Jump
Pan American Games
	1963 Sao Paulo	Long Jump
	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. He divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia and Knoxville, Tennessee.

As a student at Tennessee State University, Boston won the 1960 National Collegiate Athletic Association title in the long jump also breaking the world record in the long jump, held by Jesse Owens for 25 years, during the summer of 1960. He also 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.

In 1964 at Tokyo, Boston won the silver medal in the long jump. He continued having success in the long jump after the 1964 Summer Olympics, winning two more national titles in the long jump and the 1965 AAU title in the high hurdles. He was ranked #1 in the world in the high jump between 1960 and 1967.

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

References

• Profile

Records
Preceded byIncumbent	Men's Long Jump World Record Holder August 12, 1960 – June 10, 1962	Succeeded by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan
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 byUnknown	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

• 1939 births
• Living people
• American track and field athletes
• Long jumpers
• People from Atlanta, Georgia
• People from Laurel, Mississippi
• Olympic athletes of the United States
• Athletes at the 1960 Summer Olympics
• Athletes at the 1964 Summer Olympics
• Athletes at the 1968 Summer Olympics
• African American sportspeople
• Olympic gold medalists for the United States
• Olympic silver medalists for the United States
• Olympic bronze medalists for the United States