Turners are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber (1798–1872), were the leading sponsors of gymnastics as an American sport and the field of academic study.
The 1904 Summer Olympics were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 1 July to 23 November 1904. Many events were conducted at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. This was the first time that the Olympic Games were held outside Europe.
At the 1904 Summer Olympics of St. Louis, Missouri, eleven gymnastics events were contested for the first time.
MyerPrinstein was a Polish American track and field athlete who held the world record for the long jump in 1900 and won four gold medals in three Olympic Games for the long jump and triple jump. He was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club in Queens, New York. A 1902 law graduate and track team captain for Syracuse University, after college he became a New York real estate lawyer and businessman while living in Jamaica Plains, Queens. To date, he is the only Olympic track athlete to win both the triple and long jump in the same Olympics, earning the distinction in St. Louis in 1904.
George Louis Eyser was a German-American gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, earning six medals in one day, including three gold and two silver medals. Eyser competed with a wooden prosthesis for a left leg, having lost his leg after being run over by a train. Despite his disability, he won gold in the vault, an event which then included a jump over a long horse without aid of a springboard.
Lawson "Robbie" N. Robertson was considered one of the more accomplished American track coaches of the first half of the twentieth century. From 1904-1936, he was with the American team at every Olympics with the exception of 1916 when the Olympics were cancelled due to WWI. He coached Track and Field for the Irish-American Athletic Club in Queens, New York from 1909–16, and then for the University of Pennsylvania from 1916-47. He was U.S. Olympic Assistant Track coach in 1912 and 1920 and was head coach for the American Track and Field Team in four Olympics from 1924-36.
Austria competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, United States. Austrian and Hungarian results at early Olympic Games are generally kept separate despite the union of the two nations as Austria-Hungary at the time.
The men's triathlon was an unusual event conducted during the 1904 Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee lists it as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme, though other sources list it among the Gymnastics at the 1904 Summer Olympics events. Gymnasts rather than track and field athletes competed. However, the three events of the triathlon were decidedly athletic rather than gymnastic in nature, comprising the long jump, the shot put, and the 100 yard dash.
The men's triathlon was an artistic gymnastics event held as part of the gymnastics programme at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was the only time the event was held at the Olympics. The competition was held on Friday, July 1, 1904, and on Saturday, July 2, 1904. One hundred and nineteen gymnasts from three nations competed.
The men's artistic individual all-around was an artistic gymnastics event held as part of the gymnastics programme at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was the second time an all-around event was held at the Olympics. The competition was held on Friday, July 1, 1904 and on Saturday, July 2, 1904. One hundred and nineteen gymnasts from three nations competed. The event was won by Julius Lenhart, an Austrian gymnast living in the United States and competing under the auspices of his Philadelphia-based club. Silver went to Wilhelm Weber of Germany, with bronze to Adolf Spinnler of Switzerland. They were the first medals in the event for each of those nations, as France had swept the medals in 1900.
Julius Lenhart was an Austrian gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics. He won two gold medals and one silver medal, making him the most successful Austrian competitor ever at the Summer Olympic Games.
Max Philip Emmerich was an American track and field athlete and gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics. He was born and died in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Otto I. Steffen was an American gymnast and track and field athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Emil Beyer was an American gymnast and track and field athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
John William Grieb was an American gymnast and track and field athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics. He was born in Philadelphia. In 1904 he won the gold medal in the gymnastics' team event and silver medal in the athletics' triathlon event. He was also sixth in athletics' all-around event, 52nd in gymnastics' all-around event and 90th in gymnastics' triathlon event.
Emil Voigt was an American gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Rudolf Schrader was an American gymnast who competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. As a member of the Turnverein Vorwärts club he placed seventh in the team all-around and participated in three individual events, his best finish being 68th in the gymnastic triathlon. Born in Germany, Schrader moved to the United States at the age of 15 and worked as a cabinetmaker while training as a gymnast. After the Olympics he joined Sears and remained with them until his retirement at the age of 65. Until he was surpassed by Walter Walsh in March 2013, Schrader was the longest-lived Olympian, having died in January 1981 at the age of 105.
Max Carl Herman Wandrer was an American gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. He was born in Rudolstadt and died in Middle River, Maryland.
John Charles Mais was an American gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics and in the 1924 Summer Olympics. He was born in Philadelphia. He worked for Southern Railway for over 50 years before passing away on August 8, 1974, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
William, Richard, and Edward Tritschler were American gymnasts who competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, the last time three siblings qualified for the US Olympics team in the same year until 2008.
