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113 Years Later, Remembering The Olympic Games St. Louis 1904

Aug. 29, 2017, 6:05 p.m. (ET)

On August 29, 1904, the first Olympic Games to ever be hosted by the United States kicked off in St. Louis, Missouri. Athletes from 12-15 nations competed in 17 sports, and Team USA won a total of 239 medals, 78 of them gold. The event, held in conjunction with the World's Fair, saw the Olympic debuts of boxing, weightlifting, freestyle wrestling and the decathlon.

113 years later, take a look back at some of the lasting images from the Olympic Games St. Louis 1904.

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1) Men's 200-Meter Hurdles

Harry Hillman (front) won gold while George Poage (back) took bronze.

 

2) Men's 400-Meter

Hillman (front) won another gold to lead a U.S. podium sweep in the event. Frank Waller won silver and Herman Groman won bronze.

 

3) Ray Ewry

Ewry won gold in the standing long jump, pictured, and between 1900 and 1908, he won 10 gold medals in the standing high jump, the long jump and the triple jump.

 

4) Passing The Flag

James Sullivan, the chief organizer of the 1904 Olympic Games, in the light suit (C) with Gustavus T. Kirby, a member of United States Olympic Committee from 1896 to 1956, to his right accepting the flag in St. Louis.

 

5) Track and Field

A general view shows Francis Field, the site of track and field at the 1904 Olympic Games. It is located on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis and, following the Games, became the home of the university's athletic teams.

 

6) Men's Water Polo

The New York Athletic Club water polo team represented the U.S. at the Games, at which water polo has been retroactively deemed a demonstration sport, and won gold. From left to right, back row: David Bratton, George Van Cleaf, Bud Goodwin, Joe Ruddy, Fred Wenck; sitting: David Hesser, Professor Sunstrom, and James Steen; and front row: Captain Lou Handley and E.E. Wenck, Jr.

 

7) Men's Gymnastics

George Eyser (C) won six medals in St. Louis: gold in horse vault, parallel bars and rope climbing, silver in side horse and individual all-around, four events, and bronze in horizontal bar. He accomplished all of this while competing on a wooden leg.

 

8) Jim Lightbody

Lightbody, pictured here receiving a cup, won gold in the men's 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 2,590-meter steeplechase, as well as the 4-mile team race representing the Chicago Athletic Association.

 

9) Men's Marathon

Pictured, running the first of five laps around the stadium, are (L-R) #9 Frank Pierce (DNF), #12 Arthur Newton (bronze), #32 unidentified, #20 Tom Hicks (gold) and #10 Sammy Mellor (DNF).

 

10) Men's Swimming

Members of the New York Athletic Club represented Team USA on the gold medal-winning 4x50-yard freestyle team. From left to right: Budd Goodwin, Charlie Daniels, E.J. Giannini, Joe Ruddy, Lou Handley.

 

11) Fred Winters

Winters competed in weightlifting, seen here in the men's all-around dumbbell contest in which he won silver. In the event, athletes completed 10 exercises with points awarded for each.

 

12) Swimming

Members of the U.S. swim team pose in St. Louis.