An Olympics Retrospective

Posted: August 5, 2024

With the Olympics going on in Paris, I wanted to revisit the first time the Games were held here in the United States. How much have things changed since then? As it turns out, quite a bit!  

The first Olympic Games to be hosted in the U.S. took place in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri. Initially, the event was scheduled for Chicago, but it was relocated to St. Louis to coincide with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, a world's fair celebrating 100 years since the Louisiana Purchase. The Exposition overshadowed the Olympics, resulting in events being rescheduled to tie into the fair and a chaotic organization. This merging was intended to draw larger crowds but ultimately diluted the focus on the Games.

The 1904 Olympics featured a limited international participation due to the arduous and expensive journey to St. Louis: only 12 countries participated and a majority of the athletes were American. The events were spread over several months, from July to November, rather than the concentrated timeframe of a few weeks seen in the modern Olympics. Despite the logistical challenges, the 1904 Games were notable for introducing several new events and for being the first Olympics where gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for first, second, and third place, respectively.

Perhaps most remembered of the events at these Olympics was the marathon event, which became infamous for its unique and controversial nature. The race was run in sweltering heat, with temperatures reaching up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The course was a difficult and poorly planned 24.85 miles (40 km), featuring dusty roads and steep hills. The race was also an organizational disaster, with inadequate water stations leading to severe dehydration among the runners. The winner, Thomas Hicks (shown above), was aided by strychnine and brandy administered by his trainers during the race itself, which was within the rules at the time but would be considered doping today. Another notable incident involved Fred Lorz, who initially appeared to have won but was later disqualified when it was discovered he had ridden in a car for part of the race! 

Above all else, the marathon represents an impetus for many of the improvements — better planning, stricter regulations, the advent and advancements of sports science, etc. — that have been made since the 1904 Olympics, which, while instrumental, are fortunately a far cry from this year’s Games.