Dwight Stones
Encyclopedia
Dwight Edwin Stones (born December 6, 1953) is an American television commentator and a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and former three-time world record holder in the men's high jump
. During his 16-year career, he won 19 national championships. In 1984
, Stones became the first athlete to both compete and announce at the same Olympics. Since then, he has been a color analyst for all three major networks in the United States and continues to cover track and field
on television. He served as an analyst for NBC Sports
coverage of Track and Field
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Stones, who is Jewish, was born in Los Angeles, California. He set his first world record when he cleared in 1973 at Munich, Germany. That jump also made him the first "flop
" jumper to set a world high jump record, five years after Dick Fosbury
made that jumping style famous while winning the Mexico City Olympics
. Stones raised the world record to 2.31 metre in 1976 and added another centimeter to the record two months later.
Stones was one of the world's top high jumpers from 1972 to 1984 and has been twice named the World Indoor Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News. At age 18, he represented the U.S. for the first time at the 1972 Summer Olympics
, placing third in the high jump competition. Four years later at the Montreal Olympics, he was a heavy favorite to win the gold medal but had to settle for a bronze when his jumping ability was hampered by competition in the rain.
His participation at the Montreal Games sparked a heated debate, in which he supposedly said he hated French Canadians (Montréal-Matin Newspaper, July 29, 1976, pages 5 and 8); this debate became so inflamed that he felt the need to start wearing a t-shirt that said he loved the people who organized the Games.
He returned to the Olympics in 1984, finishing fourth after setting his 13th American record at that year's Trials.
Stones attended UCLA his Freshman year 1971–72, and later transferred to California State University, Long Beach and is a member of that University's Hall of Fame.
In 1998, Stones was inducted into the USA Track and Field
Hall of Fame.
1983
1982
1980
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. During his 16-year career, he won 19 national championships. In 1984
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, Stones became the first athlete to both compete and announce at the same Olympics. Since then, he has been a color analyst for all three major networks in the United States and continues to cover track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
on television. He served as an analyst for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of Track and Field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Stones, who is Jewish, was born in Los Angeles, California. He set his first world record when he cleared in 1973 at Munich, Germany. That jump also made him the first "flop
Fosbury Flop
The Fosbury Flop is a style used in the athletics event of high jump. It was popularized and perfected by American athlete Dick Fosbury, whose gold medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics brought it to the world's attention...
" jumper to set a world high jump record, five years after Dick Fosbury
Dick Fosbury
Richard Douglas "Dick" Fosbury is one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He completely revolutionized the high jump event, inventing a unique "back-first" technique, now known as the Fosbury Flop, adopted by almost all high jumpers today. His method was to sprint...
made that jumping style famous while winning the Mexico City Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. Stones raised the world record to 2.31 metre in 1976 and added another centimeter to the record two months later.
Stones was one of the world's top high jumpers from 1972 to 1984 and has been twice named the World Indoor Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News. At age 18, he represented the U.S. for the first time at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, placing third in the high jump competition. Four years later at the Montreal Olympics, he was a heavy favorite to win the gold medal but had to settle for a bronze when his jumping ability was hampered by competition in the rain.
His participation at the Montreal Games sparked a heated debate, in which he supposedly said he hated French Canadians (Montréal-Matin Newspaper, July 29, 1976, pages 5 and 8); this debate became so inflamed that he felt the need to start wearing a t-shirt that said he loved the people who organized the Games.
He returned to the Olympics in 1984, finishing fourth after setting his 13th American record at that year's Trials.
Stones attended UCLA his Freshman year 1971–72, and later transferred to California State University, Long Beach and is a member of that University's Hall of Fame.
In 1998, Stones was inducted into the USA Track and Field
USA Track and Field
USA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...
Hall of Fame.
Records held
- World Record: High Jump – 2.30 m (July 11, 1973)
- World Record: High Jump – 2.31 m (June 5, 1976)
- World Record: High Jump – 2.32 m (August 4, 1976)
- American Record: High Jump – 2.34 m (1984)
Championships
1984- 1984 Olympic Games1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
: High Jump (4th) - 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump – 2.34 m (1st)
1983
- 1983 TAC Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1983 TAC Indoor Championships: High Jump (3rd)
1982
- 1982 TAC Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
1980
- 1980 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd)
1978
- 1978 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
1977
- 1977 World Cup: High Jump (2nd)
- 1977 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1977 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1977 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
1976
- 1976 Summer Olympics1976 Summer OlympicsThe 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
: High Jump (3rd – bronze medal) - 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump (2nd)
- 1976 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1976 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1976 NCAA Outdoor ChampionshipsNCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
: High Jump – 2.31 m (1st) - 1976 NCAA Indoor ChampionshipsNCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipNCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
: High Jump (1st)(Cal State Long Beach)
1975
- 1975 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1975 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1975 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1975 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd)
1974
- 1974 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1974 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
1973
- 1973 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1973 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1973 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
- 1973 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st)
1972
- 1972 Summer Olympics1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
: High Jump – 2.21 m (3rd – bronze medal) - 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump – 2.21 m (1st)
- 1972 NCAA Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd)(UCLA)