by Jeff Benjamin
Jeff Benjamin, senior writer for RunBlogRun, posted this piece on the gold medal for Bob Beamon, which goes on sale at Christie’s on February 1, 2024.
Jumping Full Circle With Bob Beamon!
By Jeff Benjamin
There’s one constant about Bob Beamon – he’s always on the move!
The barrier-breaking 1968 Olympic Long Jump Gold medalist who never is one to sit back on laurels always looks for life’s next big challenge, and he has found it.
Yet, this new endeavor actually returns Beamon back to his youth, as music played a huge influence on the Jamaica Queens native even before embarking on his long-jumping career.
Nowadays, the 77-year-old legend is once again turning towards making music on percussion as a newly-minted band member of Stix Bones and The BONE Squad.
“Whether describing music or describing athletics, it’s all about rhythm”, said Beamon in an earlier interview. “If you concentrate on timing, movement, and visualization, mix it up, you can come up with some incredible results.”
Meeting the world-renowned drummer Stix Bones last year spurred Beamon’s passion, as he is now a key player in “Stix Bones And The Bone Squad!”
This past month, at “The Cutting Room” in New York City, the band performed before a packed house at their new “Olimpik Soul” Official Album Release Party.
Even now, 56 years after the 29 feet 2 1/2 inch (8.90 Meters) record-breaking jump, which is STILL the Olympic record, Bob Beamon continues to explore his limits.
And he makes “No Bones” about it!!
PostScript – On February 1st, Christie’s auction will be putting up for bid Bob Beamon’s historic 1968 Gold Medal!
According to The Sports Examiner’s Rich Perelman –
“The Christie’s estimate is that the medal could bring from $400-600,000, which would be one of the highest prices ever paid for an Olympic medal.
Olympic writer and board member of the multi-national Olympin Collectors Club Karen Rosen(USA) notes that the highest prices known to have been paid for Olympic medals are both for Berlin 1936 gold medals won by American sprint icon Jesse Owens.
An Owens gold sold for an all-time record of $1,466,574 on 8 December 2013, and a second Owens gold went for $615,000 on 7 December 2019.“
One wonders how far Bob Beamon will “Jump” on this one!!
To read the feature on Christie’s site about the Gold Medal from Mexico 1968 for Bob Beamon: https://www.christies.com/en/stories/bob-beamon-olympic-gold-medal-f5f44e653f544ed29f000d4f35698ffa
