19 04
MEHNERT
1908: Three Newarkers, Johnny Krug and George Mehnert, wrestlers, and John L. Eisele, distance runner, while members of the U.S. Olympic team, were guests of Sir Thomas on the original Erin off Southampton.
19 08
The pinnacle of success for the world's oldest sport is the Olympic gold medal. Wrestlers from the United States have fought for this
THE CITY OF CHICAGO WON THE ORIGINAL BID TO HOST THE 1904 SUMMER OLYMPICS, but the organizers of the St. Louis World's Fair, known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, would not accept another international event in the same time frame. Leaders of the Exposition informed the Olympic organizers that they would plan their own sports activities unless the Games were moved to St. Louis. Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, gave in and awarded the Games to St. Louis. Difficulties with arranging travel to St. Louis and world tension caused by the Russo- Japanese War kept many of the world's
In a number of sports, there were no competitors from other nations, so organizers combined the Olympic championship with their national championship, as was the case with wrestling. U.S. wrestlers claimed all medals in all seven freestyle weight categories. As a result, U.S. wrestlers Robert Curry at 105 pounds, George Mehnert at 115 pounds, Isidor Niflot at 125 pounds, Ben Bradshaw at 135 pounds, Otto Roehm at 145 pounds,
top athletes away. pounds, and Bernhuff Hansen at Hwt., were Charles Erickson at 158
prize for over a century, since the St. Louis Olympic Games in 1904. 1920
all crowned Olympic champions, in spite of defeating only their own countrymen. Thus begins the story of the United States Olympic gold medal heritage!
1908
The 1908 Olympic Games were hosted in London and included several firsts. The Olympic creed that "the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part" was publicly proclaimed. The Olympic Committee established a standard code of rules for sports and selection of judges from different countries and the Games, for the first time, included winter events.
George Mehnert, the first "superstar" of amateur wrestling, became the first United States wrestler to win two gold medals in the Olympic Games, winning the championship at 119 pounds. Mehnert was joined by teammate George Dole, the first collegian from Yale to win an Olympic gold medal, who climbed atop the podium at 132.5 pounds.
included nine wrestling events, four weight classes in Greco- Roman and five in freestyle wrestling.
The London Olympic program 4 | NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM THE GOLD STANDARD
The United States failed to win a gold medal at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, which featured only Greco-Roman wrestling. The 1916 Games were canceled because of World War I, so in 1920, all eyes were on the host city Antwerp, Belgium. The Olympic flag, symbolizing the unity of all five inhabited continents for sport, first flew over the Games in Antwerp and Belgian
Victor Boin became the first athlete to voice the Olympic oath. Charles Ackerly defeated American teammate and former collegiate rival Sam Gerson in the finals at 132 pounds to win the gold. Ackerly, who graduated from Cornell, had lost to Penn's Gerson in the finals of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association meet earlier in the year.
fencer 1924
In 1924, Olympic teams from 44 nations traveled to Paris, home city of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Games. Citius,
Stronger—made its debut as the Olympic Altius, Fortius—Faster, Higher,
132.5 LBS
