Summary
The United States competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. 288 competitors, 274 men and 14 women, took part in 113 events in 18 sports.[1]
| United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | USA |
| NOC | American Olympic Committee |
| in Antwerp | |
| Competitors | 288 (274 men and 14 women) in 18 sports |
| Flag bearer | Pat McDonald |
| Medals Ranked 1st |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Medalists edit
Background: voyage to Antwerp edit
Beginning 26 July 1920, a majority of the U.S. Olympic contingent destined for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, endured a troubled transatlantic journey aboard Princess Matoika. The voyage and the events on board, later called the "Mutiny of the Matoika", were still being discussed in the popular press years later. The Matoika was a last-minute substitute for another ship and, according to the athletes, did not have adequate accommodations or training facilities on board.[2] The conditions on the Princess Matoika were terrible, as the hold reeked of formaldehyde from the dead bodies of the recently deceased American World War I soldiers, and there was no place to train. Furthermore, the athletes were dissatisfied with the quality of food and huge numbers of rats present on the ship.[3] Near the end of the voyage, the athletes published a list of grievances and demands and distributed copies of the document to the United States Secretary of War, the American Olympic Committee members, and the press. Among these were the demands for better accommodations in Antwerp, cabin passage home, and railroad fare from New York to their home cities.[4] The incident received wide coverage in American newspapers at the time.[5]
Aquatics edit
Diving edit
Fourteen divers, seven men and seven women, represented the United States in 1920. It was the nation's fourth appearance in the sport; the United States was the only nation to have competed at each Olympic diving contest to that point. The Americans won their first gold medals in the sport since 1904, winning championships in three of the five diving events in 1920. The team swept both the men's and women's springboard events (though only Americans competed in the women's springboard), and added a gold and a bronze in the men's platform. Pinkston was the only diver from any nation in 1920 to win multiple medals.
- Men
Ranks given are within the semifinal group.
| Diver | Event | Semifinals | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Score | Rank | Points | Score | Rank | ||
| Louis Balbach | 3 m springboard | 8 | 630.80 | 2 Q | 15 | 649.50 | 
|
| 10 m platform | 17 | 409.15 | 3 Q | 28 | 424.00 | 6 | |
| Richard Beauchamp | Plain high dive | 23 | 135.0 | 6 | did not advance | ||
| Louis Kuehn | 3 m springboard | 7 | 628.15 | 1 Q | 10 | 675.40 | 
|
| Frank Mullen | Plain high dive | 27 | 144.0 | 6 | did not advance | ||
| Clarence Pinkston | 3 m springboard | 8 | 622.70 | 2 Q | 11 | 655.30 | 
|
| 10 m platform | 10 | 443.00 | 2 Q | 7 | 503.30 |
| |
| Harry Prieste | 10 m platform | 17 | 441.80 | 3 Q | 16 | 468.65 |
|
| Plain high dive | 18 | 149.5 | 4 | did not advance | |||
| Clyde Swendsen | 10 m platform | 26 | 414.80 | 6 | did not advance | ||
| Plain high dive | 25 | 148.0 | 5 | did not advance | |||
- Women
Ranks given are within the semifinal group.
| Diver | Event | Semifinals | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Score | Rank | Points | Score | Rank | ||
| Aileen Allen | 3 m springboard | N/A | 20 | 489.9 | 4 | ||
| Betty Grimes | 10 m platform | 13 | 156.0 | 2 Q | 30 | 133.5 | 6 |
| Alice Lord | 10 m platform | 35 | 118.5 | 7 | did not advance | ||
| Helen Meany | 10 m platform | 23 | 145.0 | 5 | did not advance | ||
| Thelma Payne | 3 m springboard | N/A | 12 | 534.1 |
| ||
| Aileen Riggin | 3 m springboard | N/A | 9 | 539.9 |
| ||
| 10 m platform | 15 | 155.5 | 2 Q | 20 | 157.0 | 5 | |
| Helen Wainwright | 3 m springboard | N/A | 9 | 534.8 |
| ||
Swimming edit
Twenty-two swimmers, sixteen men and six women, represented the United States in 1920. It was the nation's sixth appearance in the sport; the United States was the only nation to have competed in every Olympic swimming edition to that point. The Americans took eight of the ten gold medals, along with five silvers and three bronzes. This gave the team more than half of the available medals—16 out of 30; more than three times the next-best country. Eleven different Americans finished with at least one medal. Furthermore, the United States set five new world records and tied another.
On the men's side, Kahanamoku set a new Olympic record in the quarterfinals of the 100 free, then tied the world record twice in the semis and the final as the Americans swept the medals in that event. Ross took a pair of gold medals in the other two freestyle events. Kegeris briefly took the Olympic record in the 100 metre backstroke semifinals before Warren Kealoha broke the world record in the second semifinal; Kealoha took gold and Kegeris silver in the final. The relay team also set a world record in winning the gold medal.
On the women's side, Schroth, like Kegeris, briefly held an Olympic record in the 100 free before Bleibtrey broke the world record in a later semifinal. Bleibtrey bettered her own new record, leading the American women to a sweep of the medals in that event. Bleibtrey took her second world record and second gold medal in the 300 free, as the Americans swept that event as well. Her third gold medal and third world record came as part of the 4x100 free relay team along with Schroth, Guest, and Woodbridge.
Ranks given are within the heat.
- Men
| Swimmer | Event | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Eugene Bolden | 1500 m free | 23:41.2 | 2 Q | 23:26.4 | 3 q | 24:04.3 | 5 |
| Bill Harris | 100 m free | 1:04.4 | 1 Q | 1:04.2 | 2 Q | 1:03.0 |
|
| 400 m free | 5:57.8 | 1 Q | 5:36.0 | 3 | did not advance | ||
| Jack Howell | 200 m breast | 3:09.8 | 1 Q | 3:10.8 | 1 Q | Unknown | 4 |
| 400 m breast | 6:57.0 | 1 Q | 6:51.4 | 3 q | 6:51.0 | 4 | |
| Duke Kahanamoku | 100 m free | 1:01.8 OR | 1 Q | 1:01.4 =WR | 1 Q | 1:01.4 =WR |
|
| Fred Kahele | 400 m free | 5:37.4 | 2 Q | 5:35.8 | 2 Q | Unknown | 4 |
| 1500 m free | 23:41.6 | 2 Q | 23:23.0 | 2 Q | 23:59.1 | 4 | |
| Pua Kealoha | 100 m free | 1:02.0 | 1 Q | 1:02.4 | 1 Q | 1:02.6 |
|
| Warren Kealoha | 100 m back | N/A | 1:14.8 WR | 1 Q | 1:15.2 |
| |
| Ray Kegeris | 100 m back | N/A | 1:17.8 OR | 1 Q | 1:16.8 |
| |
| Harold Kruger | 100 m back | N/A | 1:19.0 | 2 Q | Unknown | 5 | |
| Ludy Langer | 400 m free | 5:41.1 | 1 Q | 5:29.2 | 2 Q | 5:29.0 |
|
| 1500 m free | 24:28.8 | 1 Q | Unknown | 4 | did not advance | ||
| Mike McDermott | 200 m breast | 3:16.4 | 2 Q | Unknown | 4 | did not advance | |
| 400 m breast | 7:12.8 | 3 q | 7:13.2 | 3 | did not advance | ||
| Perry McGillivray | 100 m back | N/A | 1:20.4 | 3 q | 1:19.4 | 4 | |
| Charles Quinby | 400 m breast | Unknown | 4 | did not advance | |||
| Norman Ross | 100 m free | 1:04.2 | 1 Q | 1:04.8 | 1 Q | Disqualified | |
| 400 m free | 6:16.2 | 1 Q | 5:33.8 | 1 Q | 5:26.8 |
| |
| 1500 m free | 24:08.2 | 1 Q | 23:12.0 | 1 Q | 22:23.2 |
| |
| Stephen Ruddy | 200 m breast | Unknown | 4 | did not advance | |||
| 400 m breast | 7:13.0 | 3 | did not advance | ||||
| Herbert Taylor | 200 m breast | Unknown | 4 | did not advance | |||
| Duke Kahanamoku Pua Kealoha Perry McGillivray Norman Ross |
4 × 200 m free relay | N/A | 10:20.4 | 1 Q | 10:04.4 WR |
| |
- Women
| Swimmer | Event | Semifinals | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Ethelda Bleibtrey | 100 m free | 1:14.4 WR | 1 Q | 1:13.6 WR |
|
| 300 m free | 4:41.4 WR | 1 Q | 4:34.0 WR |
| |
| Charlotte Boyle | 100 m free | 1:20.4 | 2 Q | did not finish | |
| Irene Guest | 100 m free | 1:18.8 | 1 Q | 1:17.0 |
|
| Frances Schroth | 100 m free | 1:18.0 OR | 1 Q | 1:17.2 |
|
| 300 m free | 5:03.2 | 2 Q | 4:52.0 |
| |
| Eleanor Uhl | 300 m free | 5:02.0 | 1 Q | Unknown | 5 |
| Margaret Woodbridge | 300 m free | 4:56.6 | 1 Q | 4:42.8 |
|
| Ethelda Bleibtrey Irene Guest Frances Schroth Margaret Woodbridge |
4 × 100 m free relay | N/A | 5:11.6 WR |
| |
Water polo edit
The United States competed in the Olympic water polo tournament for the second time in 1920. The Bergvall System was in use at the time. The Americans shut out Greece in the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals. They were defeated there by a dominant Great Britain side, which went on to win the gold medal. This gave the United States an opportunity to play for the silver under the Bergvall System. In the silver medal semifinals, they shut out Spain, but were again stymied in a loss to Belgium in the silver medal match. With one last chance at a medal, the Americans again defeated Greece in the bronze medal semifinals. In the bronze medal match, however, the team was shut out by Sweden.
- Quarterfinals
United States 
|
7–0 |  Greece
|
Antwerp |
- Semifinals
Great Britain 
|
7–2 | United States
|
Antwerp |
- Silver medal semifinals
| United States
|
5–0 |  Spain
|
Antwerp |
- Silver medal match
| United States
|
2–7 |  Belgium
|
Antwerp |
- Bronze medal semifinals
| United States
|
7–0 | Greece
|
Antwerp |
- Bronze medal match
Sweden 
|
5–0 | United States
|
Antwerp |
- Final rank
- 4th
Athletics edit
90 athletes represented the United States in 1920. It was the sixth appearance of the nation in athletics, a sport in which the United States had competed at every Games. The American team, used to dominance of the sport, was seriously challenged for the first time. The nine gold medals won by the team tied the mark for fewest the nation had ever won, matching the 1896 total (when only 12 events, rather than 29, were contested). Finland matched the United States gold medal for gold medal, the first time any other nation had done so and the last time until the 1972 Games. The depth of the American team allowed the team to collect twelve silver and eight bronze medals as well (the United States's 29 total medals nearly doubled the 16 of Finland), allowing the team to remain on top of the athletics medals leader board yet again.
Ranks given are within the heat.
| Athlete | Event | Heats | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Dan Ahearn | Triple jump | 13.75 | 6 Q | — | 14.08 | 6 | |||
| Milton Angier | Javelin throw | 57.58 | 9 Q | — | 59.275 | 7 | |||
| Harold Barron | 110 m hurdles | — | 15.2 | 1 Q | 15.0 =WR | 1 Q | 15.1 |
| |
| William Bartlett | Discus throw | 40.875 | 4 | — | 40.875 | 5 | |||
| Basil Bennett | Hammer throw | 48.25 | 2 Q | — | 48.25 |
| |||
| George Bihlman | Shot put | 13.575 | 7 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Max Bohland | Cross country | — | 16 | ||||||
| Everett Bradley | Pentathlon | — | 24 |
| |||||
| Horace Brown | 5000 m | — | 15:31.8 | 3 Q | did not finish | ||||
| Sol Butler | Long jump | 6.60 | 7 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Thomas Campbell | 800 m | — | 1:59.1 | 2 Q | 1:57.6 | 2 Q | did not finish | ||
| Howard Cann | Shot put | 13.52 | 8 | — | did not advance | ||||
| James Connolly | 1500 m | — | 4:10.0 | 3 Q | did not finish | ||||
| George Cornetta | 10000 m | — | 9 | did not advance | |||||
| Robert Crawford | Cross country | — | 40 | ||||||
| Edward Curtis | 1500 m | — | did not finish | did not advance | |||||
| Charles Daggs | 400 m hurdles | — | 56.7 | 2 Q | 55.8 | 3 Q | 55.7 | 6 | |
| August Desch | 400 m hurdles | — | 57.6 | 1 Q | 55.4 | 1 Q | 54.7 |
| |
| Michael Devaney | 3000 m steeplechase | — | 10:23.0 OR | 1 Q | 10:34.3 | 5 | |||
| Ivan Dresser | 5000 m | — | 15:41.6 | 3 Q | did not finish | ||||
| Robert Dunne | Pentathlon | — | did not finish | ||||||
| Earl Eby | 800 m | — | 1:56.8 | 3 Q | 1:57.0 | 2 Q | 1:53.6 |
| |
| Everett Ellis | Decathlon | — | did not finish | ||||||
| Robert Emery | 400 m | 52.6 | 1 Q | 50.7 | 3 Q | 50.2 | 4 | did not advance | |
| Frederick Faller | 10000 m | — | 33:02.4 | 4 Q | 32:38.0 | 8 | |||
| Cross country | — | 15 | |||||||
| Patrick Flynn | 3000 m steeplechase | — | 10:36.0 | 1 Q | 10:21.1 |
| |||
| Cross country | — | 28:12.0 | 9 | ||||||
| Frank Foss | Pole vault | 3.60 | 1 Q | — | 4.09 WR |
| |||
| Clifford Furnas | 5000 m | — | 15:23.0 | 4 Q | did not finish | ||||
| Kaufman Geist | Triple jump | 13.52 | 12 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Harry Goelitz | Decathlon | — | did not finish | ||||||
| Brutus Hamilton | Pentathlon | — | 27 | 6 | |||||
| Decathlon | — | 6771.085 |
| ||||||
| Albert Hulsebosch | 3000 m steeplechase | — | 10:26.8 | 3 Q | 10:37.7 | 6 | |||
| Charles Hunter | 5000 m | — | 5 | did not advance | |||||
| Clarence Jaquith | Triple jump | 13.04 | 15 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Eldon Jenne | Pole vault | 3.60 | 1 Q | — | 3.60 | 7 | |||
| Carl Johnson | Long jump | 6.82 | 3 Q | — | 7.095 |
| |||
| Richard Johnson | 10000 m | — | 8 | did not advance | |||||
| Morris Kirksey | 100 m | 11.0 | 1 Q | 10.8 | 1 Q | 11.0 | 3 Q | 10.9 |
|
| 200 m | 23.4 | 1 Q | 22.6 | 1 Q | 22.5 | 4 | did not advance | ||
| Edward Knourek | Pole vault | 3.60 | 1 Q | — | 3.60 | 4 | |||
| Sherman Landers | Triple jump | 14.00 | 4 Q | — | 14.17 | 5 | |||
| Richmond Landon | High jump | 1.80 | 1 Q | — | 1.936 |
| |||
| Robert LeGendre | Pentathlon | — | 26 | 4 | |||||
| James Lincoln | Javelin throw | 57.86 | 8 Q | — | 57.86 | 9 | |||
| Carl Linder | Marathon | — | 2:44:21.2 | 11 | |||||
| Harry Liversedge | Shot put | 13.755 | 4 Q | — | 14.15 |
| |||
| Frank Loomis | 400 m hurdles | — | 55.8 | 1 Q | 55.4 | 1 Q | 54.0 WR |
| |
| Jack Mahan | Javelin throw | 53.52 | 12 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Thomas Maroney | 3 km walk | — | 13:52.1 | 3 Q | 13:25.0 | 5 | |||
| 10 km walk | — | 51:54.6 | 3 Q | 50:24.4 | 6 | ||||
| Pat McDonald | Shot put | 14.08 | 2 Q | — | 14.08 | 4 | |||
| 56 lb weight throw | 11.00 | 1 Q | — | 11.265 OR |
| ||||
| James McEachern | Hammer throw | 44.70 | 8 | — | did not advance | ||||
| 56 lb weight throw | 8.84 | 10 | — | did not advance | |||||
| Matt McGrath | Hammer throw | 46.67 | 5 Q | — | 46.67 | 5 | |||
| Charles Mellor | Marathon | — | 2:45:30.0 | 12 | |||||
| John Merchant | Long jump | 6.50 | 11 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Ted Meredith | 400 m | 51.6 | 1 Q | 50.8 | 3 Q | 50.6 | 4 | did not advance | |
| Harold Muller | High jump | 1.80 | 1 Q | — | 1.90 |
| |||
| Loren Murchison | 100 m | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.9 | 2 Q | 11.0 | 3 Q | 11.2 | 6 |
| 200 m | 23.2 | 1 Q | 22.8 | 1 Q | 22.4 | 1 Q | 22.2 | 4 | |
| John Murphy | High jump | 1.80 | 1 Q | — | 1.85 | 5 | |||
| Feg Murray | 110 m hurdles | — | 15.8 | 1 Q | 15.2 | 2 Q | 15.1 |
| |
| Edwin Myers | Pole vault | 3.60 | 1 Q | — | 3.60 |
| |||
| John Norton | 400 m hurdles | — | 57.6 | 1 Q | 56.2 | 3 Q | 54.6 |
| |
| Joseph Organ | Marathon | — | 2:41:30.0 | 7 | |||||
| Charlie Paddock | 100 m | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.6 =OR |
|
| 200 m | 23.2 | 1 Q | 22.9 | 2 Q | 22.5 | 2 Q | 22.0 |
| |
| Amisoli Patisoni | 10000 m | — | did not finish | did not advance | |||||
| Cross country | — | did not finish | |||||||
| Joseph Pearman | 3 km walk | — | Disqualified | did not advance | |||||
| 10 km walk | — | 47:30.0 | 2 Q | 49:40.2 |
| ||||
| William Plant | 10 km walk | — | 52:18.3 | 4 Q | did not start | ||||
| Gus Pope | Discus throw | 42.13 | 3 Q | — | 42.13 |
| |||
| Joie Ray | 1500 m | — | 4:13.4 | 1 Q | 4:13.0 | 8 | |||
| Richard Remer | 3 km walk | — | 13:54.1 | 3 Q | 13:22.2 |
| |||
| Edward Roberts | 56 lb weight throw | 9.36 | 7 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Winfred Rolker | 3 km walk | — | 13:59.8 | 4 Q | 13:30.4 | 8 | |||
| 10 km walk | — | 7 | did not advance | ||||||
| Frank Roth | Marathon | — | did not finish | ||||||
| Patrick Ryan | Hammer throw | 52.875 | 1 Q | — | 52.875 |
| |||
| 56 lb weight throw | 10.925 | 2 Q | — | 10.965 |
| ||||
| George Schiller | 400 m | 50.4 | 1 Q | 51.1 | 2 Q | 5 | did not advance | ||
| Jackson Scholz | 100 m | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.8 | 1 Q | 10.9 | 2 Q | 10.9 | 4 |
| Donald Scott | 800 m | — | 1:56.9 | 2 Q | 1:57.2 | 1 Q | 1:54.6 | 5 | |
| Frank Shea | 400 m | 50.8 | 1 Q | 51.0 | 1 Q | 50.0 | 1 Q | 50.4 | 4 |
| Lawrence Shields | 1500 m | — | 4:07.4 | 3 Q | 4:04.3 |
| |||
| Walker Smith | 110 m hurdles | — | 15.8 | 1 Q | 15.2 | 2 Q | 15.3 | 5 | |
| Albert Sprott | 800 m | — | 2:01.5 | 2 Q | 1:58.6 | 3 Q | 1:55.4 | 6 | |
| Dink Templeton | Long jump | 6.67 | 5 Q | — | 6.95 | 4 | |||
| Arthur Tuck | Javelin throw | 53.78 | 11 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Eugene Vidal | Decathlon | — | 6358.570 | 7 | |||||
| Lewis Watson | Cross country | — | Unknown | 34 | |||||
| Ray Watson | 3000 m steeplechase | — | 10:49.0 | 3 Q | 10:50.3 | 8 | |||
| Walter Whalen | High jump | 1.80 | 1 Q | — | 1.85 | 4 | |||
| Kenneth Wilson | Discus throw | 37.58 | 10 | — | did not advance | ||||
| Allen Woodring | 200 m | 22.8 | 1 Q | 22.1 | 2 Q | 22.4 | 1 Q | 22.0 |
|
| William Yount | 110 m hurdles | — | 15.6 | 1 Q | 5 | did not advance | |||
| Max Bohland Frederick Faller Patrick Flynn |
Team cross country | — | 36 | 4 | |||||
| George Bretnall Ted Meredith George Schiller Frank Shea |
4 × 400 m relay | — | 3:40.7 | 2 Q | 3:23.6 | 4 | |||
| Morris Kirksey Loren Murchison Charlie Paddock Jackson Scholz |
4 × 100 m relay | — | 43.0 | 1 Q | 42.2 WR |
| |||
| Horace Brown Michael Devaney Ivan Dresser Arlie Schardt Lawrence Shields |
3000 m team | — | 14 | 2 Q | 10 |
| |||
Boxing edit
16 boxers represented the United States at the 1920 Games. It was the nation's second appearance in boxing. The American team was one of two to send the maximum number of boxers, two in each weight class, along with Great Britain. The Americans' three gold medals was the best of any nation, but their four total medals was only the third most.
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