Walter Tewksbury
Tewksbury jersey Penn University
Walter Tewksbury ( John Walter Beardsley Tewksbury, born March 21, 1876 in Ashley (Pennsylvania), USA, † April 25, 1968 in Tunkhannock (Pennsylvania), USA) was an American track and field athlete and multiple Olympic champion.
Career
The son of Mary Harper Tewksbury Tewksbury and Dr. Anderson studied dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was able to conclude in 1899 with the title of Doctor of Dental Surgery ( DDS). During his studies he was a runner for the sports team of the University. In the years 1898 and 1899 he won over 110 and 220 yards in the competitions of the IC4A ( Intercollegiale Association of Amateur Athlets of America ), which corresponded to the title of national champion students. Despite these successes, he was regarded with its size of 1.86 m rather than a specialist in the hurdles.
Tewksbury, in the small town of Tunkhannock returned after graduation to his family seemed to have been forgotten for the world of sports. It was the merit of the legendary U.S. coach Mike Murphy, under the Tewksbury during his studies coached that he took part in the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900. Murphy had made him quite by chance in the small town track down when he came back to the Tewksbury family in search of glass works for his collection.
At the Olympic Games in Paris Tewksbury won in all five disciplines in which he took part, a place among the top three. In the 200 - meter dash and the 400 - meter hurdles, he became Olympic champion. The run over the hurdle distance set for the U.S. athletes an oddity, because on this route they had no experience, since this route was not run in the U.S. at that time. The run was made even more difficult by the fact that it was not at the obstacles to the usual wooden frames, but about 8 m long telephone poles that were placed at a height of about 1 m across the track. Tewksburys talent in hurdling the incidence of these conditions particularly well.
In the 60 - and 100 -meter run Tewksbury won each second place behind his former fellow student Alvin Kraenzlein (60 meters) or behind Frank Jarvis (100 meters). The final of the 100m had so far particularly explosive because Jarvis had s set the unofficial world record in the flow and Tewksbury in the intermediate run with 10.8. The victory of Jarvis with about half a meter lead was because even very scarce.
His fifth medal won Tewksbury with third place in the 200 - meter hurdles behind Kraenzlein and the Indians Norman Pritchard. Tewksbury thus succeeded for a hitherto unrivaled performance. No runner has reached more medals in the individual running events in track and field at the same Olympics.
Placements at the Olympic Games:
- II Summer Olympic Games in 1900, Paris 200 m - gold with 22.2 s ( silver to Norman Pritchard from India with 22.8 s; Bronze Stan Rowley from Australia with 22.9 s )
- 400m Hurdles - Gold with 57.6 s ( silver to Tauzin Henri from France with 58.3 s; Bronze George Orton from Canada with 58.8 s )
- 60 m - silver with 7.0 s ( gold Alvin Kraenzlein from the USA with 7.0 s; Bronze Stan Rowley from Australia with 7.1 s )
- 100 m - silver with 11.1 s ( Gold Frank Jarvis from the USA with 11.0 s; Bronze Stan Rowley from Australia with 11.2 s )
- 200 m hurdles - bronze with 26.9 s ( gold Alvin Kraenzlein from the USA with 25.4 s; silver to Norman Pritchard from India with 26.6 s )
Note: With the exception of the time of the winner, transit times are estimated, as there was no time measurement for the runners. For them, the residue was found on the winner or pre-placed with a length specification.
Tewksbury had no interest in a career in sport. Immediately after the Games in Paris, he returned to Tunkhannock and settled there as a dentist. He practiced there 34 years and was in his hometown, a respected man. He has received numerous awards and honorary memberships of regional importance. In 1965, the University of Pennsylvania awarded him a medal of honor. He died shortly after his 92nd birthday.