1904 Summer Olympics / Swimming

1904 Summer Olympics swimming
information
venue	St. Louis
Competition venue	Life Saving Exhibition Lake , Forest Park
Nations	5
Athletes	32 (32 )
date	September 5-7, 1904
decisions	9
← Paris 1900 London 1908 →

With the III. In the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis , nine swimming competitions were held. Besides fencing, it was the only sport in which the Americans did not dominate, as three European countries had sent their best swimmers.

The swimming competitions were held September 5-7 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition site, at Life Saving Exhibition Lake . It was an artificial lake in which the United States Coast Guard , the American Coast Guard , usually demonstrated lifeguard exercises.

The lake was traversed by a stream and was heavily polluted by manure residues and the cattle manure from the neighboring agricultural exhibition, which is why numerous water sports enthusiasts fell ill during and after the competitions.

The athletes started from a plank raft that protruded only a little from the water and was otherwise used to moor boats during lifeguard demonstrations. The raft could only be reached via a narrow plank. The turning point and destination were marked by taut ropes, there were no separate lanes.

Balance sheet

Medal table

space	country				total
1	German Empire	4th	2	2	8th
2	United States	3	6th	5	14th
3	Hungary	2	1	1	4th
4th	Austria	-	-	1	1
total		9	9	9	21st

Medalist

discipline	gold	silver	bronze
50 yards freestyle	Zoltán from Halmay	John Scott Leary	Charles Daniels
100 yards freestyle	Zoltán from Halmay	Charles Daniels	John Scott Leary
220 yards freestyle	Charles Daniels	Francis Gailey	Emil Rausch
440 yards freestyle	Charles Daniels	Francis Gailey	Otto Wahle
880 yards freestyle	Emil Rausch	Francis Gailey	Géza Kiss
1 mile freestyle	Emil Rausch	Géza Kiss	Francis Gailey
100 yards back	Walter Brack	Georg Hoffmann	Georg Zacharias
440 yards chest	Georg Zacharias	Walter Brack	Henry Jamison Cell Phone
4 × 50 yards freestyle	New York Athletic Club I Joseph Ruddy Leo Goodwin Louis Handley Charles Daniels	Chicago Athletic Club David Hammond William Tuttle Hugo Goetz Raymond Thorne	Missouri Athletic Club Amedee Reyburn Gwynne Evans Marquard Schwartz William Orthwein

Men

50 yards (45.72 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	HUN	Zoltán from Halmay	28.0 s
2	United States	John Scott Leary	28.6 s
3	United States	Charles Daniels	k. A.
4th	United States	David Gaul	k. A.
5	United States	Leo Goodwin	k. A.
6th	United States	Raymond Thorne	k. A.

Date: September 6, 1904

The nine registered swimmers initially competed in two preliminary runs, in which the six finalists were determined. In the final, the referees declared John Scott Leary the winner, although Halmay had always been clearly in the lead. Allegedly Halmay stopped swimming shortly before the target rope. Leary, in turn, claimed that he was disabled. After long deliberations, the jury set up a stabbing race; after a false start, Halmay finally won. The finish photo later proved that the Hungarian would have won in the actual final.

100 yards (91.44 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	HUN	Zoltán from Halmay	1: 02.8 min
2	United States	Charles Daniels	k. A.
3	United States	John Scott Leary	k. A.
4th	United States	David Gaul	k. A.
5	United States	David Hammond	k. A.
6th	United States	Leo Goodwin	k. A.

Date: September 5, 1904

The exact number of participants is unknown, but at least six swimmers competed. The three fastest qualified for the final in two preliminary runs. Zoltán von Halmay won by a clear margin.

220 yards (201.17 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	United States	Charles Daniels	2: 44.2 min
2	United States	Francis Gailey	2: 46.0 min
3	GER	Emil Rausch	2: 56.0 min
4th	United States	Edgar Adams	k. A.

Date: September 6, 1904

It is not known whether there were heats for this race; only four participants are known by name. Two lengths of 110 yards were completed . Charles Daniels won by just under two seconds.

440 yards (402.34 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	United States	Charles Daniels	6: 16.2 min
2	United States	Francis Gailey	6: 22.0 min
3	AUT	Otto Wahle	6: 39.0 min
4th	United States	Leo Goodwin	k. A.

Date: September 7, 1904

Here, too, it is not known whether preliminary heats took place. Only four participants are known by name. There were four lengths of 110 yards to be covered. Charles Daniels prevailed even more clearly in front of Francis Gailey than in the race over half the distance.

880 yards (804.67 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	GER	Emil Rausch	13: 11.4 min
2	United States	Francis Gailey	13: 23.4 min
3	HUN	Géza Kiss	k. A.
4th	United States	Edgar Adams	k. A.
5	United States	Henry Jamison Cell Phone	k. A.
	AUT	Otto Wahle	DNF

Date: September 7, 1904

This race is considered the most international decision of these Olympic Games. Six swimmers from four countries competed, athletes from three countries won a medal. Eight lengths at 110 yards had to be covered, with the German Emil Rausch clearly prevailing with a lead of twelve seconds.

1 mile (1,609.34 m) freestyle

space	country	athlete	time
1	GER	Emil Rausch	27: 18.2 min
2	HUN	Géza Kiss	28: 28.2 min
3	United States	Francis Gailey	28: 54.0 min
4th	AUT	Otto Wahle	k. A.
	United States	John Meyers	DNF
	United States	Louis Handley	DNF
	United States	Edgar Adams	DNF

Date: September 6th

In this competition, the lake had to be swum 15 times. The seven participants stayed close together during the first half of the race. Then Emil Rausch and Géza Kiss pull away from the field. Rausch was able to steadily increase his lead and finally won by 50 seconds.

100 yards (91.44 m) back

space	country	athlete	time
1	GER	Walter Brack	1: 16.8 min
2	GER	Georg Hoffmann	1: 18.0 min
3	GER	Georg Zacharias	1: 19.6 min
4th	United States	William Orthwein	k. A.
	United States	David Hammond	k. A.
	United States	Edwin Swatek	k. A.

Date: September 6, 1904

The usual start with kicking off the legs was not possible because of the swaying plank raft. Instead, the six participating swimmers jumped feet first into the water and then turned on their backs. The Germans celebrated a triple victory; it was the only swimming discipline in which the Americans were without a medal.

440 yards (402.34 m) chest

space	country	athlete	time
1	GER	Georg Zacharias	7: 23.6 min
2	GER	Walter Brack	7: 33.0 min
3	United States	Henry Jamison Cell Phone	k. A.
4th	GER	Georg Hoffmann	k. A.

Date: September 7, 1904

At first it seemed as if only three Germans were swimming. Then the American Henry Jamison Handy, who won the bronze medal, also got in touch. The German Georg Zacharias won.

4 × 50 yards freestyle

space	country	team	time
1	United States	New York Athletic Club I Joseph Ruddy , Leo Goodwin , Louis Handley , Charles Daniels	2: 04.6 min
2	United States	Chicago Athletic Club David Hammond , William Tuttle , Hugo Goetz , Raymond Thorne	k. A.
3	United States	Missouri Athletic Club Amedee Reyburn , Gwynne Evans , Marquard Schwartz , William Orthwein	k. A.
4th	United States	New York Athletic Club II Edgar Adams , David Bratton , George Van Cleaf , David Hesser	k. A.

Date: September 7, 1904

The relay was the only swimming competition in which no foreigners participated. The Germans were refused entry because they belonged to different swimming clubs. The Austrian Otto Wahle, who belongs to the New York Athletic Club and wanted to give his club an advantage, protested .

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Francis Gailey was an Australian in 1904; The Australian Olympic Committee lists him as such, whereas the IOC him to time as an American leads .