1998 Hall of Fame Inductee
Twice named the World Indoor Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News, Dwight Stones was one of the world's top high jumpers from 1972 to 1984. He was just 18 when he represented the U.S. for the first time at the 1972 Olympic Games, placing third in the high jump competition. Four years later, he was again third. He returned to the Olympics in 1984, finishing fourth after setting his 13th American record at that year's Trials. A three-time world record holder in the high jump, Stones set his first world record when he cleared 7' 6 1/2" 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 7' 7" in 1976 and added another quarter inch to the record two months later. During his 16-year career, he won an incredible 19 national championships and remains history's all-time #1 ranked high jumper. 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 and continues to cover track and field consistently on television.
World Record (indoor): High Jump - 2.29 m World Record (indoor): High Jump - 2.30 m World Record (indoor): High Jump - 2.26 m World Record (indoor): High Jump - 2.27 m World Record (indoor): High Jump - 2.28 m 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 - 2.31 m American Record: High Jump - 2.34 m
1972 Olympic Games: High Jump - 2.21 m (3rd) 1976 Olympic Games: High Jump (3rd) 1984 Olympic Games: High Jump (4th) 1977 World Cup: High Jump (2nd) 1983 World Outdoor Championships: High Jump (6th) 1971 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (10th) 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump - 2.21 m (1st) 1973 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1973 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1973 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1973 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1974 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1974 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1975 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1975 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd) 1975 USTFF Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1975 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1976 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump (2nd) 1976 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1977 AAU Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1977 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1977 USTFF Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1978 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1980 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd) 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump (10th) 1981 AAU Outdoor Championships: High Jump (9th) 1982 TAC Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1982 TAC Outdoor Championships: High Jump (4th) 1983 TAC Indoor Championships: High Jump (3rd) 1983 TAC Outdoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials: High Jump - 2.34 m (1st) 1972 NCAA Outdoor Championships: High Jump (3rd) 1976 NCAA Indoor Championships: High Jump (1st) 1976 NCAA Outdoor Championships: High Jump - 2.31 m (1st)
Television commentator