Ira Sylvester Davis (born September 25, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a retired American triple jumper. He represented the United States at three Olympics; 1956, 1960 and 1964. He made the finals each time, his best showing was fourth place in 1960, missing a bronze medal by 2 cm. He was the winner of the Olympic Trials each time, setting the Trials record in 1956 and twice in 1960. 1956 was also the American record, set as a 19-year-old college freshman. He was a four time National Champion, winning in 1958-60 and again in 1964.
Davis competed for Overbrook High School where he was a teammate of Wilt Chamberlain on both the basketball and track teams; and La Salle University. Davis was also a credible sprinter, winning the 100-yard dash at the IC4A Championships and the Penn Relays in 1958.
Davis was a 1956 initiate of the Delta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
1983 Davis (age 46) jumped to a Masters M45 Triple Jump World Indoor Record and winning the Masters National Indoor Championship.National Masters News (NMN), May 1983, pages 23 and 35 of 40. Retrieved Mar 29, 2023NMN May 1985, page 25 of 40. Retrieved Mar 29, 2023
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