Walter Tewksbury, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Walter Tewksbury

athletics competitor

Date of Birth: 21-Mar-1876

Place of Birth: Ashley, Pennsylvania, United States

Date of Death: 24-Apr-1968

Profession: sprinter, athletics competitor

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Aries


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About Walter Tewksbury

  • Walter Beardsley Tewksbury (March 21, 1876 – April 24, 1968), was an American track and field athlete.
  • At the 1900 Summer Olympics, he won five medals, including two golds. Born in Ashley, Pennsylvania, Tewksbury studied for a dental degree at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1899.
  • Running for the university team, he won the IC4A titles in the 110 and 220 y in 1898 and 1899. After graduating in 1899, he headed for Paris to compete in the Olympic Games.
  • Tewksbury entered in 5 events, but had strong competition, among others from fellow Penn student Alvin Kraenzlein.
  • In the 100 m, Tewksbury equalled the world record in the semi-finals, but placed second in the final to Frank Jarvis.
  • The following day, he took another second place, behind Kraenzlein, in the 60 m, before entering the 400 m hurdles. At the time, this event had probably never been contested in the United States, but Tewksbury easily beat the local favourite for the 400 m hurdles title.
  • The event was quite different from present day, as the hurdles were actually telephone poles laid over the track, and the final hurdles was a water barrier (like in the steeplechase).
  • In the final of the 200 m hurdles, he placed third (with Kraenzlein the winner).
  • The final of the 200 m was held a week later; in that race Tewksbury won his second individual Olympic gold, finishing immediately ahead of Norman Pritchard of India. Tewksbury retired from sports to open a dental practice in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, in 1913.
  • He died there on April 24, 1968.

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