Forrest Smithson

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Forrest Smithson demonstrates his "Bible Jump Style"

Forrest Custer Smithson (born September 26, 1884 in Portland , Oregon , † November 24, 1962 in Contra Costa County , California ) was an American athlete .

Smithson was a theology student at Oregon State University . 1907 and 1908 he won the championship of the Amateur Athletic Union in the 120- yards -Hürdenlauf. Four Americans competed in the final of the 110-meter hurdles of the 1908 Olympic Games in London . The final was held on a grass runway and the hurdles cannot be compared with today's models. The feet protruded in both directions, so that the hurdles were not easy to tip, on the other hand you could be disqualified if you knocked over too many hurdles. Smithson won the race in 15.0 seconds and beat Alvin Kraenzlein's world record by 0.2 seconds.

The popular legend that Smithson won the gold medal with a Bible in his left hand to protest against holding the competition on a Sunday is proven to be false. First, there were no competitions at all on Sunday. Second, this story was never mentioned in the newspapers or in the official report. The legend was probably based on a photo that is shown in the official report. But this was only recorded after the final and is clearly set. The only real truth is that Smithson was a devout man.

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personal data
SURNAME Smithson, Forrest
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smithson, Forrest Custer (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American athlete
DATE OF BIRTH September 26, 1884
PLACE OF BIRTH Portland, Oregon
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 1962
Place of death Contra Costa County