Olympics: The Seventh Olympic Games

OLYMPICS: THE SEVENTH OLYMPIC GAMES

Olympic Site and Timing

Because the small country of Belgium had displayed extraordinary courage during World War I, Antwerp was selected as the site for the Seventh Olympic Games, held in August 1920. Though admirable in sentiment, the choice of Belgium was unwise since the country had neither the finances nor the time to construct proper facilities for the games; moreover, most of the competing nations were fielding underprepared and underfunded teams.

America's Preparation

To raise money quickly, the United States developed an extensive system of spectator-financed tryouts throughout the country. As a result, $163,113.45 in gate receipts and contributions were raised, an amount that exceeded the eventual team costs of $149,261.46. Transporting the team to Europe posed a major difficulty. Many of the large American ships were still in poor condition because of their war duties, but eventually the main group of 254 athletes set out on 20 July aboard a troopship, the Princess Matioka, that had last been used to bring home American war dead.

Mutiny after the Matioka

The ship had cramped dining and sleeping quarters and reeked of formaldehyde. American team members protested loudly during their voyage, and following their arrival in Antwerp, their expectations for improved living conditions were dashed when they were moved into schoolhouses and barracks, where they slept on small, hard cots. Athletes and officials held angry meetings—with the team threatening to boycott competition—after jumper Dan Ahearn was suspended from the team for having moved to another room. Following heated exchanges, Ahearn was rein-stated, and the team agreed to participate in the games, though their relatively few medals reflected their low morale.

American Track-and-Field Medals

The U.S team won nine of the thirty track-and-field events, which also featured the first Olympic appearance of nineteen-year-old Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn, who would have his best performance in the 1924 games. Aileen Riggins, a thirteen-year-old, won the gold medal in the diving competition; she remains the youngest female gold medalist in the history of the Olympics. Charley Paddock, the first man to be called "The World's Fastest Human," took the 100-meter dash but came in second to teammate Allen Woodring in the 200-meter sprint. Both Frank Foss, who won the pole vault, and Frank Loomis, who triumphed in the 400-meter hurdles, broke world records. Pat McDonald won the fifty-six-pound weight throw, and Pat Ryan took the hammer throw. The U.S. won the 3,000-meter team race, and Dick Landon collected the ninth United States gold medal by jumping 6 feet 4⅕ inches in the high jump, an Olympic record.

More Records, More Gold

Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku set an Olympic swimming record of 1 minute 1.4 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle, and Norman Ross, a rebellion leader, won both the 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle. The U.S. boxing team took more titles than any other team but scored second in total points to Great Britain. Although featherweight Charles Ackerly was the only American to win an individual wrestling title, the high number of second and third places brought a first-place team finish to the U.S. wrestlers. John Kelly, a Philadelphia bricklayer, who "may have been the greatest individual oarsman in history," according to Richard Schaap, won the single sculls championship and, with his cousin, Paul Costello, the double sculls. Kelly was subsequently barred from competing at Great Britain's Henley Regatta on the grounds that he was not a gentleman. His son, John B. Kelly Jr., won Henley in 1947 and 1949, and his daughter became Princess Grace of Monaco.

Olympic Firsts

The Seventh Olympic Games marked the first time women competed as members of the U.S. team. These games also saw the first unfurling of the five-ring Olympic flag. Moreover, during the 14 August opening ceremonies at Antwerp, athletes for the first time took the Olympic oath of amateurism and fair play.

Sources:

James Coote, A Picture History of the Olympics (New York: Macmillan, 1972);

Richard Schaap, An Illustrated History of the Olympics, second edition (New York: Knopf, 1967);

Alexander M, Weyand, The Olympic Pageant (New York: Macmillan, 1952).