Rink Babka

{{Short description|American discus thrower (1936–2022)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Rink Babka

| image =

| image_size = 150px

| caption =

| birth_name = Richard Aldrich Babka

| fullname =

| nickname = Rink

| nationality = American

| residence =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|09|23}}

| birth_place = Cheyenne, Wyoming

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|1|15|1936|9|23}}

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|6|ft|5|in|m}}

| weight = {{convert|267|lb|kg}}

| website = {{URL|www.rinkbabka.com}}

| country = United States

| sport = Track and field

| event = Discus throw

| collegeteam = Menlo College
USC

| club =

| team =

| retired = 1969

| highestranking =

| pb = {{convert|63.93|m|ftin}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}

{{MedalSport | Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalSilver | 1960 Rome | Discus throw}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalSilver | 1967 Winnipeg | Discus throw}}

}}

Richard Aldrich Babka (September 23, 1936 – January 15, 2022) was an American discus thrower. A former world record holder, Babka also won a silver medal in the discus event at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78060 |title=Rink Babka |work=Olympedia |access-date=January 17, 2022}}

He starred in football, basketball, and baseball in addition to track and field at Palo Alto High School before graduating in 1954. He subsequently attended nearby Menlo College and the University of Southern California (USC). Knee injuries eventually obliged him to withdraw from USC's football and basketball teams, but as a discus thrower he continued to climb toward the top of the world rankings.

Babka continued to compete as a discus thrower until 1969, when he retired to devote himself to various business pursuits.

He later resided in California. Babka was also an artist with works on display with the Art of the Olympians, which was founded by fellow Olympic discus thrower and American Olympics teammate Al Oerter.{{cite web|url=http://artoftheolympians.org/artists/richard-aldrich-rink-babka/|title=Art of the Olympians - Richard Aldrich "Rink" Babka|website=artoftheolympians.org}} He died on January 15, 2022, at the age of 85.