- Paul Pilgrim
Paul Henry Pilgrim (
October 26 ,1883 –January 8 ,1958 ) was an American athlete who won three gold medals at the 1904 and1906 Summer Olympics .He was born in
New York City and died inWhite Plains, New York .At the
1904 Summer Olympics inSt. Louis, Missouri , Pilgrim competed in the 400 metre competition and 800 metre races, without success. He finished sixth in the four mile team run, aiding the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) to win the gold medal.In the
1906 Summer Olympics atAthens , Pilgrim was an 11th-hour addition to the team. He travelled to Athens on his own, missing the wave that washed over the deck of the American team's ship inGibraltar . The wave injured about half-dozen athletes aboard the deck, including one of the favorites in the 400 metres,Harry Hillman .Pilgrim advanced to the final in the 400 metres, and was third before the final straight. On that stretch, he passed
Wyndham Halswelle ofGreat Britain and Nigel Barker ofAustralia to win in time of 53.2 seconds. In the 800 metres, Pilgrim passedJim Lightbody on the final lap and won by 2 feet. This medal does not appear in results or tables published by the International Olympic Committee, which retroactively downgraded the1906 Summer Olympics and does not consider them to have been true "Games of the Olympiad."At the
1908 Summer Olympics inLondon Pilgrim competed in the 400 metre competition. He did not advance to the semifinals.Following his wins at the Athens Games, he never won a major competition again. He worked the rest of his career at NYAC, where one of his medals is on display.
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NAME=Pilgrim, Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American athlete
DATE OF BIRTH=October 26 ,1883
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=January 8 ,1958
PLACE OF DEATH=
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