Track and field
b. Dec. 6, 1927, Chicago, IL
For a little more than two years, Fuchs was easily the best shot putter in the world. During that span, he won 88 consecutive meets and set four world records. Unfortunately, his peak period fell between Olympics, so he never won a gold medal, but he did win two bronze medals, in 1948 and 1952.
Competing for Yale, Fuchs won both the IC4A and NCAA championships in 1949 and 1950. He won the AAU national outdoor titles the same years and was the AAU indoor champion three years in a row, from 1950 through 1952.
During a fourteen-month period, Fuchs went on his world record spree. The first record was 58 feet, 4 1/2 inches in June of 1949 at Oslo, Norway. He extended it to 58-5 1/2 on April 29, 1950 at Los Angeles; to 58-8 3/4 on August 20, 1950, at Visby, Sweden; and to 58-10 3/4 two days later at Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Fuchs was the discus champion at the 1951 Pan-American Games.
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