Jim Fuchs
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Emanuel Fuchs was an American
athlete who competed in both the discus
and shot put
. He developed a new shot-putting technique in order to compensate for a leg injury, and then used what he called "the sideways glide" to set world records and dominate the sport over a two-year span in the early 1950s. He won bronze medals in shot put at both the 1948 Summer Olympics
in London
and the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
.
, Illinois
, where he starred in football at Hyde Park High School (later renamed to Hyde Park Career Academy
. He played football as a fullback at Yale University
, but injuries kept him off the field. In track, at 215 pounds, he was able to run the 100 yard dash in less than 10 seconds, but suffered a leg injury, and his coaches finally restricted him to competing in the discus and the shot. While recovering from surgery while he was at Yale, he tried to use what was then the standard technique for the shot put but found that his injury made him unable to use that method which involved stopping before releasing the shot. He came up with a technique he called "the sideways glide" that allowed him to shot put more smoothly and without pain, while seeing a dramatic increase in distance. In subsequent years the technique he developed was widely adapted by other competitors. Fuchs' training regimen did not involve lifting weights
; in a 1994 interview he suggested that had he done so he would easily have broken 60 feet, shot putting's equivalent of the four-minute mile
.
Competing for Yale University, Fuchs won both the IC4A
and NCAA
championships in 1949 and 1950. He won the Amateur Athletic Union
national outdoor titles the same years and was the AAU indoor champion for three consecutive years, from 1950 through 1952. For a little more than two years, Fuchs was the best shot putter in the world. During the years 1949 and 1950 he won 88 consecutive meets and set four world records, reaching his peak in a period that came between Olympic games. Fuchs set his first record at 58 feet, 4½ inches (17.79m) in June 1949 in Oslo
, Norway
. He extended it to 58-5½ (17.82m) on April 29, 1950, in Los Angeles
at a triangular track and field competition between Yale, Michigan State University
and the University of Southern California
; to 58-8¾ (17.90m) on August 20, 1950, at Visby
, Sweden
; and to 58-10¾ (17.95m) two days later at Eskilstuna
, Sweden. The last mark was ratified by the International Amateur Athletics Federation
in April 1951. At the Boston Athletic Association
games held in February 1950, Fuchs set an unofficial indoor record with a 16-pound shot which he heaved a distance of 57 feet, 6½ inches from the board circle, for an event that at the time of the toss was not officially tracked by the AAU in its record book.
Fuchs represented the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics
held in London
, Great Britain
, where he won the bronze medal
in the men's shot put event, despite suffering from strep throat
and a 104-degree temperature while competing. Competing in two events in athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games
held in Buenos Aires
, Fuchs won gold medals in both the discus and shot put. He earned himself the nickname "The Magnificent Wreck" for his willingness to compete in the face of illness and injury. As one of the favorites heading into the next Olympics, Fuchs sprained a finger in his right hand in July 1952 which left his entire hand throbbing and put him off the field for three days, in addition to an ankle injury he had sustained with while training. Despite the injuries, Fuchs repeated with his second bronze medal in the shot put at the 1952 Summer Olympics
, held in Helsinki
, Finland
. Gold medalist Parry O'Brien
later surpassed Fuchs's records with a more radical innovation which featured a 180-degree turn called the "backwards glide"; he broke the 60-foot mark in 1953.
, Curtis Publishing and Mutual Sports, of which he was president. Later he was the chairman and chief executive of the outplacement firm Fuchs, Cuthrell & Company.
In 1981 he co-founded, together with George Steinbrenner
, the Silver Shield Foundation, after the two friends had discussed the funeral of a slain police officer that Fuchs had attended, which left him wondering how the officer's children would be taken care of following their father's death. Silver Shield was dedicated to offering financial assistance to the children of peace officers in the New York metropolitan area who were killed in the line of duty, with the initial funding for the organization coming from the revenue earned at a New York Yankees
game. Fuchs became the chairman and executive director of the organization, which provided each of 900 children of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks with $20,000 in funds to be used towards their education.
Fuchs was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame
in 2005, in recognition for his dominance of the sport in 1949 and 1950 which had him top ranked by Track & Field News
for both of those seasons.
Fuchs died in Manhattan
at age 82 on October 8, 2010. He was survived by his fiancée, Mary St. George, as well as by five daughters from his first marriage, two sons from his second and seven grandchildren. Both of his marriages had ended in divorce.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete who competed in both the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
. He developed a new shot-putting technique in order to compensate for a leg injury, and then used what he called "the sideways glide" to set world records and dominate the sport over a two-year span in the early 1950s. He won bronze medals in shot put at both the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
Early years, college, new technique, Olympics
Fuchs, who was Jewish, was born on December 6, 1927, in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, where he starred in football at Hyde Park High School (later renamed to Hyde Park Career Academy
Hyde Park Career Academy
Hyde Park Career Academy is a public 4-year high school located in the Woodlawn neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299.-Notable alumni:...
. He played football as a fullback at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, but injuries kept him off the field. In track, at 215 pounds, he was able to run the 100 yard dash in less than 10 seconds, but suffered a leg injury, and his coaches finally restricted him to competing in the discus and the shot. While recovering from surgery while he was at Yale, he tried to use what was then the standard technique for the shot put but found that his injury made him unable to use that method which involved stopping before releasing the shot. He came up with a technique he called "the sideways glide" that allowed him to shot put more smoothly and without pain, while seeing a dramatic increase in distance. In subsequent years the technique he developed was widely adapted by other competitors. Fuchs' training regimen did not involve lifting weights
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
; in a 1994 interview he suggested that had he done so he would easily have broken 60 feet, shot putting's equivalent of the four-minute mile
Four-minute mile
In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional...
.
Competing for Yale University, Fuchs won both the IC4A
IC4A
IC4A or ICAAAA is an annual men's competition held at different colleges every year....
and NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championships in 1949 and 1950. He won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
national outdoor titles the same years and was the AAU indoor champion for three consecutive years, from 1950 through 1952. For a little more than two years, Fuchs was the best shot putter in the world. During the years 1949 and 1950 he won 88 consecutive meets and set four world records, reaching his peak in a period that came between Olympic games. Fuchs set his first record at 58 feet, 4½ inches (17.79m) in June 1949 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He extended it to 58-5½ (17.82m) on April 29, 1950, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at a triangular track and field competition between Yale, Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
; to 58-8¾ (17.90m) on August 20, 1950, at Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
; and to 58-10¾ (17.95m) two days later at Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
, Sweden. The last mark was ratified by the International Amateur Athletics Federation
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
in April 1951. At the Boston Athletic Association
Boston Athletic Association
The Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit, organized sports association for the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It hosts such events as the world-renowned Boston Marathon....
games held in February 1950, Fuchs set an unofficial indoor record with a 16-pound shot which he heaved a distance of 57 feet, 6½ inches from the board circle, for an event that at the time of the toss was not officially tracked by the AAU in its record book.
Fuchs represented the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where he won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the men's shot put event, despite suffering from strep throat
Strep throat
Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
and a 104-degree temperature while competing. Competing in two events in athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games
The Athletics Competition at the 1951 Pan American Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
held in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Fuchs won gold medals in both the discus and shot put. He earned himself the nickname "The Magnificent Wreck" for his willingness to compete in the face of illness and injury. As one of the favorites heading into the next Olympics, Fuchs sprained a finger in his right hand in July 1952 which left his entire hand throbbing and put him off the field for three days, in addition to an ankle injury he had sustained with while training. Despite the injuries, Fuchs repeated with his second bronze medal in the shot put at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
, held in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Gold medalist Parry O'Brien
Parry O'Brien
William Parry O'Brien, Jr. was an American shot put champion. Born in Santa Monica, California, he competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics where he won two gold medals and one silver medal . In his last Olympic competition he placed fourth. For this, he is inducted in the U.S...
later surpassed Fuchs's records with a more radical innovation which featured a 180-degree turn called the "backwards glide"; he broke the 60-foot mark in 1953.
Post shot-put career
After his shot-put career, Fuchs spent 20 years as a communications executive, working for NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Curtis Publishing and Mutual Sports, of which he was president. Later he was the chairman and chief executive of the outplacement firm Fuchs, Cuthrell & Company.
In 1981 he co-founded, together with George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
, the Silver Shield Foundation, after the two friends had discussed the funeral of a slain police officer that Fuchs had attended, which left him wondering how the officer's children would be taken care of following their father's death. Silver Shield was dedicated to offering financial assistance to the children of peace officers in the New York metropolitan area who were killed in the line of duty, with the initial funding for the organization coming from the revenue earned at a New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
game. Fuchs became the chairman and executive director of the organization, which provided each of 900 children of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks with $20,000 in funds to be used towards their education.
Fuchs was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
in 2005, in recognition for his dominance of the sport in 1949 and 1950 which had him top ranked by Track & Field News
Track & Field News
Track & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field.The magazine provides coverage of athletics in the U.S.A. from the high school to national level as well as covering the sport on an international bases. The magazine...
for both of those seasons.
Fuchs died in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
at age 82 on October 8, 2010. He was survived by his fiancée, Mary St. George, as well as by five daughters from his first marriage, two sons from his second and seven grandchildren. Both of his marriages had ended in divorce.
See also
- List of select Jewish track and field athletes