Related News
105 years later, Australia claims Olympic medals
Source: Agencies |
February 27, 2009, Friday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
AUSTRALIA is claiming four new Olympic medals - 105 years after they were awarded to the United States.
The Australian Olympic Committee said in statement today that Francis Gailey, who won four swimming medals at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, was Australian and not American at the time.
Gailey finished second in the 220-, 440- and 880-yard races and third in the one-mile freestyle.
The AOC's official historian Harry Gordon says Gailey was Australian - a student at Brisbane Grammar School and was aged 22 when he swam in the St. Louis Olympics.
He came home to Australia after the Olympics but emigrated to the United States in 1906. He later became a naturalized US citizen and settled in California, where he died in 1972.
Gordon said confirmation of Gailey's identity had come from a group of international historians and statisticians who have been investigating the nationalities of athletes at the 1900 (Paris) and 1904 Olympics.
"Both were badly organized attachments to international trade expositions, or world's fairs," Gordon was quoted as saying in an AOC statement. "The records have always been pretty suspect."
The AOC said Gailey can now be recognized as winning the most individual medals at a single Olympics of any male Australian swimmer. Ian Thorpe won five individual medals at two Games - two at Sydney 2000 and three at Athens 2004.
The committee said Gailey's medals, when credited to Australia, increased the country's total at Summer Games to 449 - 135 gold, 144 silver and 170 bronze.
The Australian Olympic Committee said in statement today that Francis Gailey, who won four swimming medals at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, was Australian and not American at the time.
Gailey finished second in the 220-, 440- and 880-yard races and third in the one-mile freestyle.
The AOC's official historian Harry Gordon says Gailey was Australian - a student at Brisbane Grammar School and was aged 22 when he swam in the St. Louis Olympics.
He came home to Australia after the Olympics but emigrated to the United States in 1906. He later became a naturalized US citizen and settled in California, where he died in 1972.
Gordon said confirmation of Gailey's identity had come from a group of international historians and statisticians who have been investigating the nationalities of athletes at the 1900 (Paris) and 1904 Olympics.
"Both were badly organized attachments to international trade expositions, or world's fairs," Gordon was quoted as saying in an AOC statement. "The records have always been pretty suspect."
The AOC said Gailey can now be recognized as winning the most individual medals at a single Olympics of any male Australian swimmer. Ian Thorpe won five individual medals at two Games - two at Sydney 2000 and three at Athens 2004.
The committee said Gailey's medals, when credited to Australia, increased the country's total at Summer Games to 449 - 135 gold, 144 silver and 170 bronze.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
