11 Facts About Ron Jourdan

Ronald Lee Jourdan was an American college and Olympic track and field athlete.

Ron Jourdan attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a member of coach Jimmy Carnes' Florida Gators track and field team from 1966 to 1970.

Ron Jourdan finished fourth at the Amateur Athletic Union outdoor championships in 1969 and finished the season with the fourth-best jump in the world for that year.

Ron Jourdan was on the cover of the April 1969 issue of Track and Field News.

Ron Jourdan later equaled his personal best, the tenth best jump in the world in 1970.

Ron Jourdan stood six-feet, one-inch tall, and was rail-thin at 150 pounds.

At the 1972 Olympic Trials, held in Eugene, Oregon, between June 29 and July 9, Ron Jourdan was one of four members of the FTC to qualify for the Munich Olympics, along with distance runners Frank Shorter, Jack Bacheler and Jeff Galloway.

The men's high jump final was held on the last day, and Ron Jourdan began competition at 2.10 and set a personal best of 2.21, finishing second to Dwight Stones.

Ron Jourdan began competition at the low height of 1.90 because of his injury and progressed through 2.00,2.06,2.09 and 2.12 all on his first attempts, before missing all three tries at 2.15.

Ron Jourdan holds the distinction of being the first athlete from the University of Florida to qualify for the Olympics in the sport of track and field.

In 1973, Ron Jourdan gave up his amateur status and continued to compete in the high jump as a professional on tour with the newly created International Track Association.