Walter Tewksbury
{{short description|American track and field athlete}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Walter Tewksbury
| honorific_suffix =
| image = John Tewksbury.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt = Walter Tewksbury seated on a stool wearing his University of Pennsylvania athletic jersey
| caption = Walter Tewksbury
| headercolor =
| textcolor =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| full_name =
| nickname =
| nationality =
| national_team = United States
| ethnicity =
| citizenship =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1876|03|21}}
| birth_place = Ashley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|04|24|1876|03|21}}
| death_place = Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| education = University of Pennsylvania
| alma_mater =
| height =
| weight =
| module =
| country =
| sport =
| event =
| event_type =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| pb =
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Men's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country | the {{USA}} }}
{{Medal|Competition | Olympic Games}}
{{Medal|Gold|1900 Paris | 200 metres}}
{{Medal|Gold|1900 Paris | 400 metre hurdles}}
{{Medal|Silver|1900 Paris | 60 metres}}
{{Medal|Silver|1900 Paris | 100 metres}}
{{Medal|Bronze|1900 Paris | 200 metre hurdles}}
}}
John Walter Beardsley Tewksbury (March 21, 1876 – April 24, 1968){{cite web | url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/te/walter-tewksbury-1.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417052353/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/te/walter-tewksbury-1.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 17, 2020 | title = Walter Tewksbury biography and Olympic results | publisher = sports-reference.com | access-date = January 7, 2010}} was an American track and field athlete. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, he won five medals, including two golds.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79119 |title=Walter Tewksbury |work=Olympedia |access-date=22 December 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Walter-Tewksbury|title=John Walter Tewksbury|website=britannica.com|access-date=4 October 2023}}
Biography
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.
{{clear left}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
{{Footer_Olympic_Champions_200_m_Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m hurdles Men}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tewksbury, John}}
Category:People from Ashley, Pennsylvania
Category:Sportspeople from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Category:American male sprinters
Category:American male hurdlers
Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Category:Track and field athletes from Pennsylvania