St. Louis 1904 - Olympic Games Winners

Start:

01 Jul 1904

End:

23 Nov 1904

Countries:

Athletes:

651

Sports:

Events:

City:

St. Louis, USA

There were a few candidate cities in the USA to host the Third Olympiad: New York, Buffalo, St. Louis, and Chicago. At the fourth IOC Congress in May 1901, Chicago was selected as the host city.
However, after news of moving the Universal Exhibition and World's Fair in St. Louis from 1903 to 1904, it was decided to hold the Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, to coincide with the Exhibition, as it had four years earlier at the 1900 Paris Olympiad.

David Francis, chief of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, officially opened the Third Olympic Games.
Many European athletes couldn't attend competitions because the ship's ticket price was too high. Even the IOC President, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, didn't travel to the Olympic Games. There were only 52 athletes not from America, and only athletes from the USA and Canada competed in 10 of 17 events.
Local people were uninterested in the Games, and the most important events drew no more than 2,000 people.
Almost all competitions are held in the Washington University area.
The American gymnast Anton HEIDA won 5 gold and one silver medal.
Another American gymnast, George EYSER, who competed with a wooden prosthesis in place of his amputated left leg, after being run over by a train during his youth, won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
The American athlete Marcus HURLEY won four gold and one bronze medal in Cycling.
The American swimmer Charles DANIELS won three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
The American runner James LIGHTBODY won three gold and one bronze medal in Athletics.
Three more American athletes: Ray EWRY, Archi HAHN and Harry HILLMAN won three gold medals each in Athletics.
The Cuban fencer Ramon FONST won three gold medals, representing both Cuba and the mixed USA-Cuba team.
The American female athlete Lida HOWELL won three gold medals in Archery.