St. Louisan George Sheldon is shown here diving during the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics. Sheldon was the sport's first-ever gold medalist.

Olympic Scandal and a Missing Trophy

By Steve McFarland, Trials Executive Director

In the 1904 Olympic Games, the sport of Diving premiered in a manmade lake known as the US Lifesaving Exhibition Lake. Today, nothing remains of the lake; it is the intersection of Skinker and Wydown just off the campus of Washington University. However, in 1904, the sport of diving was at its own crossroads and the controversial direction it took then is still evident today.

The Germans and Scandinavians developed Diving and Gymnastics, so when George Hoffmann and Alfred Braunschweger of Germany showed up in St. Louis for the diving event, most believed they would easily win. That might explain why the German team commissioned a trophy for the winner of the diving event, which they left in Germany. Why lug a trophy to St. Louis and back!?!

It was an eye doctor from St. Louis, George Sheldon, who would claim the trophy, but not without an incident that was described in the St. Louis Daily Globe Democrat as "the most unpleasant that has pervaded the circle of Olympic Champions." This incident involved the judges, the crowd and what constituted a dive anyway. Here are some of the fun facts:

The Athletes

George Sheldon was no match for the German divers, who performed multiple somersaults and gymnastic moves that only they could do. Dr. Sheldon could perform simple graceful dives that went in the water straight. He lived in St. Louis, so it was easy to strap on the diving togs and plunge into the US Lifesaving Exhibition Lake.

The Event

The German divers were dazzling the crowd with their acrobatics; Sheldon was doing his graceful sleek dives with apparently little response from the hometown crowd. The Daily Globe Democrat described it this way, "The courteous American Public had generally applauded the German swimmers work, but the judges failed to take cognizance of the applause and awarded the championship simply on points." (Daily Globe Democrat, Friday Morning, September 30, 1904)

The Protest

Dr. Theodore Lewold, German Imperial Commissioner (the equivalent of today’s German Olympic Committee Chairman), was not pleased. The American organizers agreed to Germany’s request that diving be included in the 1904 Games. Dr. Lewold had the trophy back in Germany. Hoffmann or Braunschweger was supposed to win. Clearly, the judges did not understand diving, so he logged a protest to the Chief of the Department of Physical Culture, James E. Sullivan. This was the same James E. Sullivan whose name is on the award given to the athlete who " ... by his or her performance, example and influence as an amateur, has done the most during the year to advance the cause of sportsmanship." Sullivan ruled that the decision of the judges was final. Sheldon won the gold medal, but would have to wait a few weeks for the trophy.

The Impact on Diving

Diving should award James E. Sullivan the Sullivan Award for advancing the cause of sportsmanship in the sport. By supporting the judge’s decision he unknowingly shaped the sport of diving for the next 100 years. The sport had to account for grace and style as well as acrobatics. Through out the century the Gold Medal winners in diving were generally either graceful or acrobatic. It wasn’t until 80 years after Sheldon won his medal, that diving finally saw the incarnation of his grace with the German acrobatics. That diver was Greg Louganis and fortunately for him, James E. Sullivan had set the standard for scoring the Olympic event. Beauty was in the eye of the judge.