Antwerp, 1920 Olympic Games
The 1920 Olympic Games were held in Antwerp, Belgium. Budapest had initially been selected to host the 1920 Olympic Games, but following the war it was transferred to Antwerp. Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Türkiye were not invited to these Games as they were on the wrong side of the Great War.
Trivia
- In Antwerp 1920, the Olympic flag was introduced, as was the Olympic oath.
- Ice hockey made its first appearance at the 1920 Antwerp Games, before moving to the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Also, Figure-skating events were held for the second time.
- The Opening Ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag and the presentation of the Athletes' Oath.
- Charley Paddock, the American sprinter who won the 100m in 1920,
died in a plane crash in 1943 while serving as a captain in the
US Marines.
- Champion distance runner Paavo Nurmi won three medals for Finland, the 10000m race, the 8000m cross-country and the team cross- country.
- American Eddie Eagan, who was a boxing champion in the 1920 Games, became the only person to have won gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Games, with gold at the 1932 Lake Placid Games in the team bobsled event.
- At age 72, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn earned a silver medal in the team double-shot running deer event to become the oldest medalist ever.
- Philip Noel-Baker of Great Britain takes the silver in the 1500-meter dash; he later became the only Olympian ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- For the first and only time in Olympic history, the 12-foot dinghy event in sailing was held in two different countries. The early races were held in Belgium, but the final two races in the event were held in the Netherlands, as the only two competitors in the event were Dutch.
Related Pages
- List of sports at the 1920 Olympic Games
- Complete list of Olympic host cities
- Belgium at the Olympics
- 1920: The Year in Sport
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