Robert Lee Beck (December 30, 1936 – April 2, 2020) was an American

modern pentathlete The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the anc ...

and fencer who won three gold medals in these disciplines at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

in 1963–1971. He also won bronze medals in the individual and team modern pentathlon events at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

. He was less successful at the 1968 Games, placing 22nd individually and fourth with the American team. Beck graduated from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

and

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. Beck was a practising

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, during his professional career. He was hospitalized in February 2020, due to a head injury from a fall in front of his home. He died on April 2, 2020, at age 83, after contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. As of the Tokio 2020 Olympics, he was the last athlete from the United States to win an individual medal in men's pentathlon. and

Modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics The modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo took place in 2021 at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto Stadium. Thirty-six athletes competed each in the men's and women's events. Format Modern pentathlon contains five e ...

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Robert 1936 births 2020 deaths American male épée fencers American male modern pentathletes Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas Fencers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1971 Pan American Games Harvard Crimson fencers Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games Modern pentathletes at the 1960 Summer Olympics Modern pentathletes at the 1963 Pan American Games Modern pentathletes at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic fencers for the United States Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in modern pentathlon Pan American Games medalists in modern pentathlon Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in fencing Sportspeople from San Diego University of Virginia alumni Harvard Medical School alumni Harvard School of Dental Medicine alumni

See also

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