Anders Haugen

It took longer for Anders Haugen to win his medal than any athlete in Olympic history. At the 1924 Olympics, Haugen was placed fourth – just behind Norway’s Thorleif Haug, who had won three gold medals in other events. The result was accepted without argument. In 1974, at the 50th reunion of the 1924 Norwegian team, Norwegian sports historian Jacob Vaage was going over the results when he noticed an error. Haugen had correctly been given 17.916 points, but Haug’s scores added up to 17.821, not the 18.000 with which he had been credited. The IOC was notified and at a special ceremony in Oslo, on 12 September 1974, 85-year-old Anders Haugen was given his bronze medal by Haug’s daughter – more than 50 years after the competition. Haugen and his brother, Lars, were the first great American ski jumpers. Anders won four national ski jumping championships, while Lars took seven. But Anders also set three American records, the first in 1911 at Ironwood, Michigan, and the last in 1920 at Dillon, Colorado. That mark, 214 feet, would not be bettered by an American for 12 years. Anders Haugen settled in California and coached skiing for many years. At the age of 75 he was still directing a junior alpine program for youngsters.