Robert Garrett with discus

Description

Baltimore native Robert Garrett (1875-1961), photographed here with discus, joined twelve others to make up the entire first Olympic team representing the United States in the revived Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Garrett was the son of Baltimore businessman T. Harrison Garrett and nephew of Robert Garrett, an early B&O Railroad Company president. Although he had not seen an official discus until the day before the games began, he went on to become discus champion. Garrett won the gold medal when he defeated Greek discus champion Panagiotis Paraskevopoulus. The games at Athens lasted from April 5 to 15 and consisted of: 100-, 400-, 600-, 800-, and 1500-meter footraces plus a hurdle race of 110 meters; the long and high jump; pole vault; shot put; quoit throw (discus); 26-mile race from Marathon to Athens; fencing; pistol shooting; rowing; yacht races; bicycle races; and lawn tennis. Garrett outlived all of his 1896 teammates.