The Olympic Odds And Ends

By Bill Bechem

Athens held the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The U.S was the only non-European competitor; 65 percent of the athletes were from Greece. Women first competed at the 1900 Paris Games, in tennis, sailing, croquet, golf, and equestrian events.

The 1900 Olympics in Paris had Plunge for Distance as a sport. Competitors dove into the water and remained motionless for a minute or until their heads came to the surface. That event was never held again. Obstacle Swimming was another event in Paris. Competitors climbed over and swam under boats and poles in the Seine for 200 meters. It too was discontinued after 1900. And, Live Pigeon Shooting was a one-time only Olympic event in Paris.

Saint Louis had both the Olympics and the World's Fair in 1904. Roque, similar to croquet, was an event. Only Americans competed, as Roque was unknown elsewhere. Other countries complained that the event was an attempt to inflate the US medal count.

Staunton native Gilbert Van Cleve competed in the long jump and the triple jump in Saint Louis, coming in 5th for both events.

Running Deer Shooting, with paper targets, was an Olympic event from 1908 to 1948. Olympic Games were canceled entirely in 1916, 1940, and 1944 because of WW1 and WW2.

Johnny Weissmuller, who would playTarzan in twelve movies, won gold medals in swimming in the 1924 Paris games and 1928 in Amsterdam. Buster Crabbe made one Tarzan movie; he’s better known for playing Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers on film. Buster won a bronze medal in swimming in 1928 and gold in the 400-meter free-style in Los Angeles in 1932.

The Boys in the Boat recounts the gold-medal eight-man rowing team from the University of Washington at the 1936 Berlin Games. At the 1924 Paris Games, Dr Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and best-selling author, was one of the gold medalists as a member of the Yale University rowing team.

The film Chariots of Fire takes place during the 1924 Paris games. Harold Abrams, portrayed by Ben Cross, runs to overcome anti-Jewish prejudice, Eric Liddell (Ian Charleston), a devout Christian who wouldn’t run on Sundays, and American gold-medal runner Jackson Scholz (Brad Davis), who in the film hands Eric a note of support before his 400-meter race. Scholz denied he gave a note to Liddell and never saw the movie.

During the 1984 Los Angeles Games, an American Express credit card commercial featured Ben Cross and the 87-year-old Scholz.