American high jumper (born 1958)
Louise Ritter
Born February 18, 1958 (1958-02-18 ) (age 66)Dallas, Texas , U.S.
Louise Dorothy Ritter (born February 18, 1958) is an American former track and field athlete who won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1988 Olympic Games .
Biography
Ritter qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott . She did, however, receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[ 1]
Ritter won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul , South Korea .[ 2] In doing so she upset Stefka Kostadinova , the reigning world champion and world record-holder in the event.
A graduate from Red Oak High School, she now has a street named after her[citation needed ] in her former home town of Red Oak, Texas.[ 3]
She graduated from Texas Woman's University in 1988 where she starred for U.S. Olympic coach Dr. Bert Lyle.
Ritter was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2012,[ 4] and the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in 2024.
[ 5]
Achievements
4 Times US National Champion (1978, 1983, 1985, 1986)
3 Times won US Olympic Trials (1980, 1984, 1988)
Note: During the 1980s, the US Championships and US Olympic trials were separate events.
References
External links
1923–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992The Athletics Congress 1993–presentUSA Track & Field Notes
OT : Since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials in Olympic years, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT : The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Qualification Men's track and road athletes Men's field athletes Women's track and road athletes Women's field athletes Coaches —
Qualification Men's track and road athletes Men's field athletes Women's track and road athletes Women's field athletes Coaches
USTFCCCA Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame
Class of 2022 Class of 2023 Class of 2024