Ralph Harold Boston was an American track athlete who received three Olympic medals and became the first person to break the 27 feet (8.2 m) barrier in the long jump. Ralph Boston (United States) set the men's long jump world record of 8.21 m in Walnut, United States on August 12, 1960. It stood 9 months, until Ralph Boston's 8.24 m on May 27, 1961. Wiki link