Jennison Heaton facts for kids
Jennison Heaton at the 1928 Olympics
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Quick facts for kids Personal information |
||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | April 16, 1904 New Haven, Connecticut, United States |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Died | August 6, 1971 (aged 67) Burlingame, California, United States |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | skeleton, bobsleigh | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Jennison Heaton (born April 16, 1904 – died August 6, 1971) was an American athlete. He was famous for competing in two exciting winter sports: skeleton and bobsleigh. Heaton showed amazing skill at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. There, he won a gold medal in skeleton and a silver medal in bobsleigh.
Contents
Jennison Heaton: An Olympic Champion
Jennison Heaton was born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, on April 16, 1904. He grew up to become a talented athlete. He loved winter sports, especially those that involved speed and ice. Heaton became very good at both skeleton and bobsleigh. These sports require courage and precision.
Olympic Success in 1928
The peak of Jennison Heaton's sports career was at the 1928 Winter Olympics. These games were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Heaton competed in two different events. First, he took part in the skeleton race. This sport involves riding a small sled head-first down a frozen track. Heaton performed brilliantly. He won the gold medal in the skeleton event.
His victory was even more special because he beat his own younger brother, John Heaton. John won the silver medal, just one second behind Jennison. This made it a truly memorable moment for their family.
Bobsleigh Medal
After his skeleton win, Jennison Heaton also competed in the five-man bobsleigh event. Bobsleigh is a team sport where athletes push and then ride a sled down an ice track. Heaton's team showed great teamwork and speed. They managed to win a silver medal in this tough competition. This meant Jennison Heaton left the 1928 Olympics with two medals: one gold and one silver.
Family Connections to Sports
The Heaton family had a strong connection to winter sports. Jennison's younger brother, John, was also an Olympic medalist. Another brother, Trowbridge Heaton, was also very interested in bobsleigh. Later in life, Jennison Heaton married Beulah Fiske. This marriage connected him to another famous Olympic bobsledder, Billy Fiske, who was Beulah's brother. This shows how deeply sports ran in their family.
Jennison Heaton passed away on August 6, 1971, at the age of 67. He is remembered as a remarkable American athlete. He was a pioneer in skeleton and bobsleigh, leaving a lasting mark on Olympic history.
