Étienne Desmarteau facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Joseph-Étienne Birtz | |||||||||||||
| Full name | Joseph-Étienne Desmarteau | |||||||||||||
| Born | 4 February 1873 Boucherville, Quebec, Canada |
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| Died | 29 October 1905 (aged 32) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 185 cm | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Joseph-Étienne Desmarteau (born February 4, 1873 – died October 29, 1905) was a Canadian athlete. He won a gold medal in the weight throwing event at the 1904 Summer Olympics. This made him a national hero!
Early Life and Sport
Étienne Desmarteau was born in Boucherville, Quebec. He was a strong athlete and joined the Montréal Athletic Club. He became one of the best competitors in the 56-pound (about 25.4 kg) weight throwing event. This event is no longer part of the Olympics today.
In 1902, Desmarteau won the American AAU championships. He beat a famous athlete named John Flanagan. Flanagan later broke the world record in the event before the 1904 Olympics. This made both Desmarteau and Flanagan top contenders for the gold medal.
Olympic Challenge
At the time, Desmarteau worked as a fire officer in Montréal. To compete in the Olympics, he needed time off work to travel to St. Louis. However, his boss said no.
Desmarteau really wanted to compete, so he decided to go anyway. This choice meant he lost his job as a fire officer.
Winning Gold
In St. Louis, Desmarteau made his first throw. It went 34 feet 4 inches (10.46 meters). This throw was good enough to win! Flanagan's best throw was 33 feet 4 inches (10.16 meters).
At the 1904 Olympics, Desmarteau was the only athlete from outside the United States to win a gold medal in the field events.
Hero's Return
When Desmarteau returned to Montréal, he received a hero's welcome. People were very proud of his Olympic win. He was even rehired, but this time as a police officer.
Sadly, Desmarteau died the next year, possibly from typhoid fever.
Legacy
Even after his death, Desmarteau's name lives on. A district, a park, and a sports arena in Montréal are named after him. The Étienne Desmarteau Centre was even used for basketball games during the 1976 Summer Olympics. The District d'Étienne Desmarteau is part of the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie area in Montréal.
Some people believe Desmarteau was the first Olympic champion from Canada. However, another Canadian athlete, George Orton, won a gold medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Orton was running for an American university at the time.
See also
- List of Canadian sports personalities
