European Athletics is very saddened to hear of the death of 1978 European long jump champion Jacques Rousseau on Wednesday (14) at the age of 72.
Rousseau won one of France’s two medals at the 1978 European Athletics Championships in Prague, triumphing in the long jump with a winning effort of 8.18m to accompany his gold medals from the 1975 and 1976 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
After finishing 10th on his Olympic debut in Munich 1972, Rousseau improved to fourth at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal with 8.00m, missing out on the bronze medal by a mere two centimetres.
Rousseau also set a French record of 8.26m in 1976, a mark which stood for 21 years. He was also credited with wind-aided marks of 8.33m and 8.37m.
European Athletics sends its condolences to Rousseau’s friends, family and the French athletics community.