• Antwerp 1920

Antwerp 1920 - Quick Hits

Charles Paddock with his famous "flying finish" won the 100m © PA Photos

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Suspicion
After celebrating the victory of his team in the 4x100-metre relay, American athlete Morris Kirksey found the hotel doors locked and was then arrested by the police after they found him climbing the front of the hotel. His plight worsened when police refused to believe he was an Olympic champion.

Murder
The American, James Howard Snook, a gold medalist in the team shooting event, was executed 10 years later in the electric chair for battering his mistress to death after she informed Howard's wife of their affair.

Smoking hot
The 20-year-old Frenchman Joseph Guillemot, a pack-of-cigarettes-a-day man, won the 5,000-metre title coming home ahead of Finnish legend Paavo Nurmi. Guillemot nearly repeated his feat in the 10,000 but was suffering from stomach cramps and also had to overcome shoes that were two sizes too big after his own were stolen. He still managed to win silver.

Complete athlete
Belgium's Victor Boin, who recited the Olympic oath, was one of the great all-round athletes of his generation. During the 1908 Games he won a silver in water polo, and in 1912 he took the bronze. In 1920, he also won a silver in the team fencing. Overall he took part in swimming, figure skating, hockey, flying, and motorcycling. He went on to become president of the Belgian Olympic Committee and the founder of the International Association of Sports Journalists.

Famous family
The American John Brendan Kelly, an Olympic champion in rowing, was the father of Grace Kelly, future Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco.

Unique
American Edward Eagan is the only athlete to win gold medals during the Summer and Winter Games. In 1920 he won the light-heavyweight boxing title, and in 1932 at Lake Placid, he formed part of his country's victorious four-man bobsledding team.

Diving youth
The American diver Aileen Riggin won the gold medal in the springboard event - at the tender age of 13.

The Kangaroo
American Charles Paddock won the 100-metre dash thanks to a totally personalised technique that afforded him the nickname "the flying man." Before crossing the finishing line he made a leap of around four meters in order to "save time" and thus obtain victory.

New race, same results
The 100-metre freestyle final was repeated after the original race produced a protest from Australian William Herald, who claimed he had been hit by American Norman Ross. The second final was again won by Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku and the standings were exactly the same as the first race.

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