Tom Curtis
Biographical information
| Type | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Thomas Pelham "Tom"•Curtis |
| Used name | Tom•Curtis |
| Born | 9 January 1873 in San Francisco, California (USA) |
| Died | 23 May 1944 in Nahant, Massachusetts (USA) |
| Measurements | 176 cm / 66 kg |
| Affiliations | Boston AA, Boston (USA) |
| NOC |  United States |
Biography
Although Tom Curtis never won any major championship and was not even awarded his letter at Harvard, he is assured of a place in sporting history as the winner of the first Olympic hurdles title. In Athens, he narrowly defeated the Englishman, Grantley Goulding, and although Goulding was a superior hurdler, Curtis’ speed on the flat took him to the tape a yard ahead of the only other finalist. Curtis also won a heat in the 100m at the Olympics, but did not contest the final. In World War I, Curtis commanded the Massachusetts ambulance corps and he later became an executive with the Lord Electric Company of Massachusetts.
Personal Bests: 100 – 12.2 (1896); 110H – 17.6 (1896).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Summer Olympics | Athletics | USA |
Tom Curtis | |||
| 100 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 h2 r1/2 | |||||
| 110 metres Hurdles, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| Long Jump, Men (Olympic) | DNS |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Summer Olympics | 6 April 1896 | Athletics | 100 metres, Men | Round One, Heat Two | 12.2 | 1 |
| 1896 Summer Olympics | 7 April 1896 | Athletics | 110 metres Hurdles, Men | Round One, Heat Two | 18 | 1 |
| 1896 Summer Olympics | 10 April 1896 | Athletics | 110 metres Hurdles, Men | Final | 17.6 | 1 |