12 Facts About Jim Fuchs

James Emanuel Fuchs was an American communications executive and athlete who competed in the discus throw and shot put.

Jim Fuchs developed a new shot-putting technique 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.

Jim Fuchs won bronze medals in shot put at both the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

Jim Fuchs was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he starred in football at Hyde Park High School.

Jim Fuchs played football as a fullback at Yale University, but injuries kept him off the field.

Jim Fuchs 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.

Jim Fuchs 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.

Jim 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.

Jim Fuchs earned himself the nickname "The Magnificent Wreck" for his willingness to compete in the face of illness and injury.

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 Jim Fuchs had attended, which left him wondering how the officer's children would be taken care of following their father's death.

Jim Fuchs died in Manhattan at age 82 on October 8,2010.

Jim Fuchs was survived by his fiancee, Mary St George, as well as by five daughters from his first marriage, two sons from his second and seven grandchildren.