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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 18, 1958 (1958-02-18) (age 67) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Louise Dorothy Ritter (born February 18, 1958) is an American formertrack and field athlete who won the gold medal in thehigh jump at the1988 Olympic Games.
Ritter qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the1980 Summer Olympics boycott. She did, however, receive one of 461Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[1]
Ritter won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the1988 Summer Olympics held inSeoul,South Korea.[2] In doing so she upsetStefka 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 theUSTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in 2024.
Note: During the 1980s, the US Championships and US Olympic trials were separate events.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing United States | |||||
| 1977 | World Cup | Düsseldorf, Germany | 4th | 1.83 m | |
| 1979 | Pan American Games | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1st | 1.93 m | |
| World Cup | Montreal, Canada | 5th | 1.87 m | ||
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 3rd | 1.95 m | |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 8th | 1.91 m | |
| 1986 | Goodwill Games | Moscow, Soviet Union | 8th | 1.89 m | |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 8th | 1.93 m | |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 1st | 2.03 m | |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | USA National High Jump Champion 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | USA National High Jump Champion 1983 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | USA National High Jump Champion 1985 — 1986 | Succeeded by |
USTFCCCA Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class of 2022 |
|  |
| Class of 2023 | ||
| Class of 2024 | ||
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