George Eyser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Eyser
Personal information
Full name	Georg Ludwig Friedrich Julius Eÿser
Country represented	United States
Born	August 31, 1870 Dänisch-Nienhof near Kiel, Germany
Died	March 6, 1919(1919-03-06) (aged 48) Denver, Colorado, United States
Residence	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Height	170 cm (5.6 ft)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Club	Concordia
Medal record Men's gymnastics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1904 St. Louis Rope climbing Gold 1904 St. Louis Vault Gold 1904 St. Louis Parallel bars Silver 1904 St. Louis Combined 4 events Silver 1904 St. Louis Pommel horse Bronze 1904 St. Louis Horizontal bar

Concordia team in 1908, Eyser is in the center.

George Louis Eyser (born August 31, 1870 – died March 6, 1919) was a German-American gymnast. He became famous for competing in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, USA. What makes his story amazing is that he competed with a wooden prosthesis (an artificial leg) for his left leg. He had lost his leg after a train accident.

Despite this challenge, George Eyser won six medals in just one day at the Olympics! This included three gold medals and two silver medals. One of his gold medals was in the vault event. Back then, this event involved jumping over a long horse without a springboard to help.

George Eyser's Early Life

George Eyser was born on August 31, 1870, in Kiel, Germany. He was the only child of Georg and Auguste Eÿser. When he was 14, his family moved to the United States. George became a US citizen in 1894.

His family first lived in Denver, Colorado. Later, around 1902 or 1903, George moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, he worked as a bookkeeper for a construction company. He also joined a local gymnastics club called Concordia Turnverein Saint Louis.

At some point when he was young, George lost most of his left leg. It had to be removed after a train accident. He used a wooden artificial leg, which still allowed him to do physical activities like running and jumping. George loved sports and trained hard, hoping to compete in the 1904 Olympics.

Competing in the Olympics

The 1904 Olympics were held in St. Louis. These were the third Olympic Games ever. They were also the first Olympics where gold, silver, and bronze medals were given to the top three winners. Before this, winners received cups or trophies.

The 1904 Games had a very confusing schedule. Events were spread out over several months. The gymnastics competition was also split into two main parts:

• The International Turners' Championship was held in July. It included all-around, triathlon, and team events.
• The Olympic Gymnastics Championships were held on October 29. This part had seven individual events and a combined event.

George Eyser competed in both parts of the gymnastics competition. In the first part, he didn't do as well. He placed 10th in one all-around event and 71st in another. He also competed in an athletics triathlon, but his results were not very high.

Eyser's Medal-Winning Day

George Eyser performed much better in the second part of the competition. On a single day, October 29, 1904, he won an amazing six medals!

• Gold Medals: He won gold in the parallel bars, long horse vault, and 25-foot rope climbing.
• Silver Medals: He earned silver in the pommel horse and the 4-event all-around.
• Bronze Medal: He won a bronze medal in the horizontal bar.

His main competitor was another American gymnast, Anton Heida. Anton also won six medals, but he had five golds and one silver. Heida shared the gold with Eyser in the vault. He was second to Eyser on the parallel bars. However, Heida won gold in the horizontal bar, pommel horse, all-around, and team competitions. George Eyser's club, Concordia, finished fourth in the team event.

For many years, George Eyser was the only person with an artificial leg to compete in the Olympic Games. Later, other amazing athletes with disabilities also competed:

• In 2008, Natalie du Toit, a swimmer from South Africa, competed in the 10 km swimming marathon at the Beijing Olympics. She had lost her left leg in a car accident.
• In 2012, Oscar Pistorius, a runner from South Africa who had both legs amputated, competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He ran in the 400-meter race and the 4x400 relay.

Life After the Olympics

After his success at the Olympics, George Eyser continued to compete for his club, Concordia. His club won an international competition in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1908. They also won a national competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1909.

George Eyser passed away on March 6, 1919, in Denver, Colorado.

See also

In Spanish: George Eyser para niños