On this day in 1924, “Taffy” Abel, an Ojibwe native American, was the first American flag bearer at the Olympic Winter Games. Read his story.
The Olympic Winter Games came to the United States in 1932 for the first time. Lake Placid native Jack Shea won two gold medals in speed skating, the first athlete to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic Winter Games.
For the first and only time in Olympic history, the speed skating competition used mass starts with skaters racing each other. Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie won the second of her three consecutive gold medals, while Lake Placid native Jack Shea won two gold medals in speed skating, the first athlete to win multiple gold medals at the same Olympic Winter Games.
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Olympic Marks are used under license from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 36 U.S.C. 220506
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