Hall of Fame

Ray Ewry

Track and Field

Olympian in Paris 1900 Olympic Games, St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games, London 1908 Olympic Games

Born:
October 14, 1873
Birthplace:
Lafayette, Indiana
Died:
September 29, 1937
College:
Purdue University

hall of fame

Ray Ewry

Track and Field

Olympian in Paris 1900 Olympic Games, St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games, London 1908 Olympic Games

Born:
October 14, 1873
Birthplace:
Lafayette, Indiana
Died:
September 29, 1937
College:
Purdue University
Ray Ewry was orphaned and contracted polio as a youngster, but worked hard to develop into a world-class athlete and won eight gold medals over three Olympic Games.
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Orphaned at age 5 and diagnosed with polio at age 7, Ray Ewry found himself confined to a wheelchair. Just being able to walk again would be a significant accomplishment.

Ewry, however, was determined. Every day, he did leg exercises, hoping that he could somehow strengthen his legs.

Amazingly, Ewry’s hard work paid off. And then some. He enrolled at Purdue University and worked his way to become captain of the track team. After graduating with a master’s degree in engineering, Ewry eventually took a job as a Navy inspector outside New York City. He joined the New York Athletic Club and started training for the Paris 1900 Olympic Games, the second-ever modern Olympics.

Nicknamed “the human frog,” Ewry was dominant in jumping events, which at the time were conducted without a running approach. The standing long jump, standing high jump and standing triple jump (also known as hop, skip and jump) have long been discontinued. But in the early 1900s – and ever since – no one performed these athletics feats better.

In Paris, Ewry won gold medals in each event. Four years later, at the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games, Ewry successfully repeated as the gold medalist in all three events. He only won two golds at the London 1908 Olympic Games – the standing triple jump had been dropped from competition. Ewry set world records for the standing long jump and standing high jump. Ewry’s eight gold medals in individual events stood as a record for the most by any athlete for the next 100 years and he is generally considered among the greatest Olympians ever.

Ewry passed away in 1937. He was 63.



MEDAL RESULTS
1900 Paris High Jump Gold
1900 Paris Long Jump Gold
1900 Paris Triple Jump Gold
1904 St. Louis High Jump Gold
1904 St. Louis Long Jump Gold
1904 St. Louis Triple Jump Gold
1908 London High Jump Gold
1908 London Long Jump Gold

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