Can lacrosse make its Olympic comeback at Los Angeles 2028. How has the sport’s Olympic history shaped its current bid. What steps is World Lacrosse taking to secure a spot in the Games. Why is lacrosse considered an attractive Olympic sport. How might the new six-on-six format impact its Olympic prospects.
The History of Lacrosse in the Olympic Games
Lacrosse, a sport with deep Native American roots, has a fascinating Olympic history. Despite its current absence from the Games, it has featured in the Olympic program on multiple occasions:
- St. Louis 1904: Medal event
- London 1908: Medal event
- Amsterdam 1928: Demonstration sport
- Los Angeles 1932: Demonstration sport
- London 1948: Demonstration sport
Since its last appearance in 1948, lacrosse has been absent from the Olympic stage. However, recent developments have rekindled hopes for its return, particularly with the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Games on the horizon.
World Lacrosse’s Olympic Aspirations
Jim Scherr, the chief executive of World Lacrosse, has expressed optimism about the sport’s potential inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program. This renewed hope stems from several key factors:
- Provisional recognition granted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2018
- Possibility of full recognition later this year
- The opportunity to apply as an additional sport for Los Angeles 2028
Scherr, leveraging his experience as a former United States Olympic Committee secretary general, understands the complexities of the Olympic selection process. He acknowledges the fierce competition but believes lacrosse has a compelling case for inclusion.
Why is lacrosse considered an attractive Olympic sport?
Lacrosse offers several appealing qualities for Olympic consideration:
- Worldwide appeal and growing popularity
- Strong youth participation
- Increasing popularity in the United States, making it ideal for the L.A. Games
- Rich history and cultural significance
- Exciting, fast-paced gameplay
The Road to Olympic Recognition
The journey towards Olympic inclusion is arduous and complex. World Lacrosse must navigate several challenges and meet specific criteria to be considered for the Games:
What are the key criteria for Olympic eligibility?
According to the Olympic Charter, a sport must meet the following requirements:
- Practiced widely by men in 75 countries on four continents
- Practiced widely by women in 40 countries on three continents
- Demonstrate significant public interest and media attention
Provisional IOC recognition, which lacrosse currently enjoys, is granted for a three-year period. However, it’s important to note that this status does not guarantee inclusion in the Olympic Games.
Adapting the Sport for Olympic Success
World Lacrosse is taking proactive steps to increase its chances of Olympic inclusion. One significant development is the introduction of a new six-on-six format:
How might the new six-on-six format impact lacrosse’s Olympic prospects?
The six-on-six version of lacrosse offers several advantages:
- Faster-paced, more compact gameplay
- Requires fewer players, aligning with the Olympic cap of 10,500 athletes
- Potentially more television-friendly
- Easier to organize and accommodate within the Olympic program
World Lacrosse approved official playing rules for this format in November, demonstrating their commitment to adapting the sport for Olympic consideration.
The World Games: A Stepping Stone to Olympic Glory
The 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, represent a crucial opportunity for lacrosse to showcase its Olympic potential:
How will lacrosse be featured in the 2022 World Games?
- Women’s lacrosse: Part of the official program
- Men’s lacrosse: Featured as an invitational sport for the first time
- Both will utilize the new six-on-six format
This high-profile event will allow lacrosse to demonstrate its global appeal, competitiveness, and suitability for multi-sport competitions. A strong showing at the World Games could significantly bolster lacrosse’s Olympic bid.
The Impact of Olympic Inclusion on Lacrosse
Securing a spot in the Olympic program would be transformative for lacrosse as a sport. Jim Scherr emphasizes the enormous potential benefits:
What are the potential benefits of Olympic inclusion for lacrosse?
- Unprecedented global exposure to over four billion people
- Increased funding and resources for development programs
- Growth in participation rates worldwide
- Enhanced media coverage and sponsorship opportunities
- Elevated status and prestige within the international sporting community
The visibility and platform provided by the Olympic Games could catapult lacrosse into a new era of global popularity and recognition.
Challenges and Competition for Olympic Inclusion
While optimism surrounds lacrosse’s Olympic bid, the path to inclusion is far from guaranteed. Several challenges and competing factors must be considered:
What obstacles does lacrosse face in its Olympic bid?
- Limited spots available for additional sports
- Competition from other popular and emerging sports
- Need to further expand global participation and viewership
- Balancing tradition with innovation to appeal to the IOC and viewers
- Addressing any concerns about cost and complexity of inclusion
World Lacrosse must navigate these challenges while presenting a compelling case for the sport’s inclusion that aligns with the IOC’s vision for the future of the Olympic Games.
The Role of Los Angeles 2028 in Lacrosse’s Olympic Aspirations
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games present a unique opportunity for lacrosse’s potential inclusion. Several factors make this particular edition of the Games favorable for the sport:
Why is Los Angeles 2028 considered a prime opportunity for lacrosse?
- Strong popularity of lacrosse in the United States
- Existing infrastructure and venues reducing additional costs
- Opportunity for the host city to propose additional sports
- Alignment with the IOC’s Agenda 2020+5 objectives
- Potential to attract new audiences and sponsors in a key market
The combination of lacrosse’s growing popularity in the U.S. and the flexibility afforded to host cities in selecting additional sports creates a favorable environment for the sport’s Olympic bid.
The Evolution of Olympic Sport Selection
The process of selecting sports for the Olympic program has undergone significant changes in recent years, providing new opportunities for sports like lacrosse:
How has the Olympic sport selection process evolved?
Key developments include:
- Introduction of the IOC’s Agenda 2020 and Agenda 2020+5
- Increased flexibility for host cities to propose additional sports
- Focus on youth appeal and global marketability
- Emphasis on sustainability and cost-effectiveness
- Consideration of gender equality and mixed-gender events
These changes have opened doors for new and returning sports to make their case for Olympic inclusion, as evidenced by the recent additions of sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing to the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 programs.
Lacrosse’s Global Development Efforts
To strengthen its Olympic bid, World Lacrosse is actively working to expand the sport’s global footprint:
What initiatives is World Lacrosse undertaking to grow the sport globally?
- Investing in grassroots development programs
- Providing resources and support to emerging lacrosse nations
- Organizing international tournaments and exhibitions
- Collaborating with national federations to increase participation
- Developing coaching and officiating education programs
These efforts aim to meet the IOC’s criteria for global participation and demonstrate lacrosse’s potential for growth and impact on the international stage.
The Potential Legacy of Olympic Lacrosse
Should lacrosse secure a spot in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program, it could leave a lasting impact on both the sport and the Olympic movement:
What could be the long-term effects of lacrosse’s Olympic inclusion?
- Increased global participation and diversity within the sport
- Enhanced infrastructure and resources for lacrosse development
- Inspiration for young athletes to pursue the sport at the highest level
- Potential for continued inclusion in future Olympic Games
- Strengthened connections between modern sport and indigenous traditions
Olympic inclusion could serve as a catalyst for lacrosse’s global growth and solidify its position as a major international sport.
The Role of Media and Public Support
Media coverage and public interest play crucial roles in lacrosse’s Olympic aspirations:
How can media and public support influence lacrosse’s Olympic bid?
- Increased media coverage can demonstrate the sport’s marketability
- Public enthusiasm can showcase lacrosse’s potential to attract new audiences
- Social media engagement can highlight the sport’s youth appeal
- Positive coverage of international events can prove global interest
- Support from high-profile athletes and personalities can boost credibility
Building a strong media presence and cultivating public support will be essential in making a compelling case to the IOC and Olympic organizers.
Balancing Tradition and Innovation
As lacrosse pursues Olympic inclusion, it must strike a delicate balance between honoring its rich heritage and adapting to modern sporting demands:
How is lacrosse evolving while maintaining its cultural roots?
- Developing new formats like six-on-six while preserving traditional gameplay
- Incorporating indigenous cultural elements into international competitions
- Utilizing modern technology for training and officiating
- Adapting rules to enhance spectator appeal without compromising integrity
- Emphasizing the sport’s historical significance in educational initiatives
This balance of tradition and innovation could make lacrosse a unique and attractive addition to the Olympic program, offering both cultural depth and modern excitement.
The Economic Impact of Olympic Inclusion
Securing a spot in the Olympic Games could have significant economic implications for lacrosse:
What economic benefits could Olympic inclusion bring to lacrosse?
- Increased sponsorship opportunities for teams and athletes
- Growth in equipment and apparel sales
- Expansion of professional leagues and tournaments
- Investment in facilities and infrastructure
- Job creation in coaching, administration, and related industries
The economic boost from Olympic inclusion could help sustain lacrosse’s growth and development for years to come, creating a virtuous cycle of investment and expansion.
Preparing for the Olympic Spotlight
As World Lacrosse pursues its Olympic dreams, preparations are already underway to ensure the sport is ready for the global stage:
How is lacrosse preparing for potential Olympic inclusion?
- Refining and testing the six-on-six format
- Enhancing anti-doping protocols and education
- Developing high-performance programs for national teams
- Improving officiating standards and technology
- Collaborating with broadcast partners to optimize presentation
These preparations demonstrate lacrosse’s commitment to meeting the high standards required for Olympic competition and presentation.
As the lacrosse community eagerly awaits news of potential Olympic inclusion, the sport continues to grow and evolve. The coming years will be crucial in determining whether this ancient game will find a new home on the world’s biggest sporting stage. With strong leadership, innovative adaptations, and growing global appeal, lacrosse is positioning itself as a compelling candidate for Olympic recognition. The journey to Los Angeles 2028 promises to be an exciting one for lacrosse enthusiasts and Olympic fans alike.
World Lacrosse chief hopeful sport can feature at Los Angeles 2028
World Lacrosse chief executive Jim Scherr has expressed hope that the sport could have an opportunity to join programme for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Lacrosse has featured at the Olympic Games on five occasions previously.
The sport was a medal event at both St. Louis in 1904 and London 1908.
Lacrosse later featured as a demonstration sport at Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and London 1948.
Lacrosse has not featured at the Games since, but hopes of a return were boosted when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted the sport provisional recognition in 2018.
Full recognition could be granted later this year.
This would allow World Lacrosse to apply to join the programme for Los Angeles 2028 as an additional sport.
Scherr, a former United States Olympic Committee (USOC) secretary general, told an MEI International Federations Summit that the governing body was hopeful of being involved at the Games, in comments reported by HostCity.
com.
Lacrosse was provisionally granted IOC recognition back in 2018 ©Getty Images
“We hope we have an opportunity to join Los Angeles 2028, it’s been in five Olympic Games,” Scherr said.
“Given the sports selection process we think there’s an opportunity.
“There’s a tremendous amount of competition, but we think it would great for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
“It certainly should be a great game changer for the sport of lacrosse around the world.
“Los Angeles 2028 have almost all their venues built already, or existing venues.
“There’s quite a bit of overlay to do.
“It’s a great Games, they’ve announced two founding partners on the sponsorship side, it’s an interesting proposition.
“The IOC Agenda 2020+5 and the question of cost and complexity of the Games might change how all federations fit into the Games.
“We’re looking forward to a fantastic Games in Los Angeles in ’28 and hope we can be part of it.”
Under Agenda 2020, host cities can put forward potential additional sports to be added to the programme for the Games.
Tokyo 2020 successfully saw baseball-softball, karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing added to the programme.
Paris 2024 opted to retain sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing for their Games, while adding breaking.
Lacrosse Moving Toward a Spot in 2028 Olympic Program
Lacrosse Moving Toward a Spot in 2028 Olympic Program
8 Apr, 2021
By: Michael Popke
Lacrosse will take the international spotlight when Birmingham, Alabama hosts the 2022 World Games next summer. Women’s lacrosse is on the official program, while men’s lacrosse will be featured for the first time as an invitational sport.
There’s a lot more riding on that competition than naming a World Games champion. Lacrosse was granted provisional status by the International Olympic Committee in 2018 — meaning that the sport now receives funding from the IOC for development and is on the path toward potential inclusion as a showcase sport in the Olympic program at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Do YOU think lacrosse will be featured in the 2028 Games? Take our poll here!
Provisional IOC recognition is granted for a period of three years, and IOC officials have repeatedly noted that provisional status does not guarantee inclusion in the Olympic Games — see “competitive cheer.”
As US Lacrosse notes, the Olympic Charter states that a sport must be practiced widely by men in 75 countries on four continents and by women in 40 countries on three continents as key criteria for Olympic eligibility. Public interest and media attention are critical factors, as well.
“This is a process that’s exceptionally difficult,” World Lacrosse Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr admitted, speaking at the US Lacrosse Convention in March, as reported by US Lacrosse Magazine. “It’s so beneficial for a sport to get on the Olympic Games program, even if it’s for one Games as a host city sport, because you have a platform that not only virtually everyone in your country consumes, but more than four billion people around the world consume your sport in some way.
”
Scherr noted that lacrosse “is an incredibly attractive sport for the Olympic games” for several reasons. It has worldwide appeal, he said, it’s driven at the youth level and it’s popularity is increasing in the United States — making it ideal for the L.A. Games. He added that World Lacrosse is testing a new six-on-six version of the game to make it more appealing for the Olympics (which caps the number of athletes participating at 10,500). World Lacrosse approved official playing rules for the format in November.
That is the same version of lacrosse that will be played at the World Games, when lacrosse makes its second appearance as a championship sport in the quadrennial event.
“Lacrosse Sixes has an excellent opportunity, particularly if we can get this game to fit the television window, fit the window of live play during the Olympic Games, decrease the cost and complexity of staging this competition, but also create a product that is very consumable on digital and social media,” Scherr said.
“That was our goal with Lacrosse Sixes. We’re on the way. It’s not the full-field game, but we think it offers an incredible amount as a potential Olympic discipline.”
Lacrosse’s Long History
Lacrosse, a sport originated by Native Americans, was designated a medal sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics, and it was a demonstration sport in the 1928, 1932 and 1948 Games. If the sport achieves Olympic status for Los Angeles, it would be the first time in 80 years it had any connection with the Games. In 2012, the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) was formally accepted into SportAccord (now known as the Global Association of International Sports Federations), the umbrella organization for all Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations.
Among the goals of US Lacrosse’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan is to “collaborate with the FIL to position lacrosse participation as a medal sport in the 2028 Olympics” by increasing the sport’s profile in the Greater Los Angeles and Birmingham, Ala.
, areas.
“The opportunity goes back to the individual athlete and their dream of being in the Olympic Games,” Scherr said at the US Lacrosse Convention. “We would like to provide that for the athletes of lacrosse. In our polling, virtually 100 percent of the athletes want to have that dream.”
Meanwhile, World Lacrosse is working with the Iroquois Nationals men’s lacrosse team to help it form a National Olympic Committee to seek IOC recognition in 2024 and be allowed to participate in the Olympics should lacrosse make the 2028 program.
“The Olympic Games eligibility standards right now is for an athlete to be entered in the Olympic Games, you have to correspond to a national Olympic committee,” Scherr said. “They’re not recognized universally by the United Nations as a sovereign nation as World Lacrosse has recognized them. They have to overcome both of those challenges.”
“We basically have to sell the IOC on our international experience, our international standing, our sovereignty, and the good things that’ll happen if we’re there playing lacrosse, the game we originated,” Leo Nolan, executive director of the Iroquois Nationals, told CBC.
ca.
He’s “very optimistic” about the team’s chances, and thinks “it’d be a great gesture, a great symbolic step for Indigenous communities — not just us, not just American and Alaska natives, or First Nations folks — but for Indigenous communities around the world.”
Not to mention another big move for the sport.
Do YOU think lacrosse will be featured in the 2028 Games? Take our poll here!
Opinion: Lacrosse Will Be in the 2028 Olympics, Changing the Sport in Huge, Unforeseen Ways
There’s a sea-change coming to the sport of lacrosse, and very, very few of the game’s power-brokers seem to see the cresting wave on the horizon.
First, context.
I used to think that efforts toward lacrosse’s Olympic inclusion were wasteful for two reasons. The first reason: I didn’t think the Olympic Dream was feasible (My thinking: lacrosse just isn’t popular enough globally, and there’s a wide competition gap in the nations where it is played.). Second, I thought that even if the Olympic Dream were attained, it wouldn’t be so impactful to the sport as to justify the effort to bring such a tall task to life.
(A common line of thought reflecting that is, “How impactful can five days of four hours of airtime on Bravo for two weeks in August every four years actually be?”)
I compare my stance on the Olympics to my old stance on early recruiting. Originally, I didn’t have an impassioned opinion on early recruiting because I saw it as an issue that effected relatively few programs and families, and because I thought there was comparatively little harm done to those families and programs that did partake in early recruiting. My thoughts on early recruiting changed when I started to see evidence that seventh- and eighth-graders were prematurely quitting lacrosse because they weren’t on the track to be offered as a ninth-grader. At that point, I saw a widespread threat to the sport, offset by little reason not to change the recruiting rule, and I firmly supported the IWLCA/IMLCA proposal to the NCAA.
That’s a valid comparison because I had a stance (albeit a soft one), then I was exposed to new evidence and a new way of thinking, and I changed my stance.
I now think that it’s feasible that lacrosse will be in the Olympics. Actually, not just “feasible,” not just “more than likely” but “a near certainty.” And I think that inclusion will have a greater impact on the sport than any other occurrence in lacrosse’s history.
Since the formalized “merging” of the men’s and women’s international lacrosse federations in 2008, the FIL has taken direct, linear steps toward IOC recognition and Olympic inclusion. A first step was adopting World Anti-Doping Agency policies. A second was joining Sport Accord. A third was acceptance into the International World Games Association and participation in last summer’s competition in Poland. A fourth and the most concrete most likely will come in the first half of 2018, when the FIL is expected to receive IOC recognition.
But perhaps the most substantial step was the hiring of Jim Scherr (and the associated, on-going reorganization within the FIL), a man whose resume seems tailored specifically to point lacrosse toward Olympic inclusion.
In IL’s December Issue, he explained how the process of sports being included in the Olympic program has changed and the increased discretion each local host committee has to add competition sports.
“I’d think given the availability venues in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, the popularity of sport, collegiate and youth in L.A. and across young people in the U.S., gives the sport a strong argument in the U.S. market and I think makes it an ideal sport for inclusion in the 2028 program,” Scherr said, adding that he’s familiar and has good relationships with many key members of the L.A. hosting committee.
To reinforce that this is more than one man’s opinion, consider Rutgers coach Brian Brecht’s comment from last June’s #NissanLaxChat hosted by Inside Lacrosse:
Brecht: Longtime Rutgers coach Tom Hayes is on committee & is very close to having it in Olympics. #nissanlaxchat https://t.co/ivRz0p67EP
— Inside Lacrosse (@Inside_Lacrosse) June 6, 2017
On top of why inclusion is more feasible than many realize, Scherr outlined the benefits of the Olympics for the global lacrosse community.
The U.S. and Canada will certainly benefit from [lacrosse’s Olympic inclusion], but for the rest of the world, it’ll be a sea-level change. It turns three spigots on for national federations around the world. The first is from their national Olympic committees, which a lot of times is government funded and sometimes has their own funding sources that augments that. The second is development funds that are for elite athlete support through their national governments, whether it’s a sport ministry or governmental agency — lacrosse athletes would then have increased eligibility for those funds. And then third, whenever you come into the Olympic realm, and you’re looking to put together a team and gather funds — either commercially or through private donations — generally much more traction is gained when there’s an Olympic opportunity at the end of the run.
As evidenced by the men’s world championships unplanned move from England to Israel next summer, international lacrosse is not as healthy as it can be, and the power of Olympic backing is nearly indescribable.
On top of that, the way in which the popularity of a sport like Rugby Sevens benefited from inclusion in Rio in 2016 illustrates exactly what lacrosse has to gain.
All of that, though — the preceding 800 words — is just context. This is the real story:
The game of lacrosse that will be played in the Olympics does not currently exist.
Read further into Scherr’s comment, “There’s a strong desire to continue to improve the product on the field of play and make the game more exciting” and think about the relationship between rugby, a sport way more popular globally than lacrosse that struggled for decades to gain Olympic inclusion, and rugby sevens, which debuted to widespread (but not universal) acclaim.
Consider also some elements of a sport that appeal to the Olympics:
- gender equity
- fast pacing
- predictable duration for TV windows
- manageable venue requirements
- limited equipment needs
Here are a few of my predictions (or hunches) for what “Olympic lacrosse” will look like:
- Men and women will play on field with identical lines (smaller than a current field, most likely) and the same number of players (probably fewer than 10; maybe 7 or 8)
- The hybrid game will incorporate elements of box lacrosse, most specifically…
- I wouldn’t be surprised if there were no longsticks
- I wouldn’t be surprised if there were no offsides; every player was allowed to run end to end
- The duration of quarters/halves/games will be uniform (potentially 25-minute running time halves)
- After a goal, play will restart immediately (sorry FOGOs/draw specialists — it’s not personal, it’s about avoiding the lull as play resets when the ball is moved back to the midline)
- Collisions and contact will be considerably reduced in men’s lacrosse (I wouldn’t be surprised if a conversation ensued around whether men should wear helmets.
I suspect that, as long as men’s stick continue to contain pockets that allow for 100-plus mile per hour shots, that conversation will resolve with men continuing to wear helmets).
I suspect that, as long as men’s stick continue to contain pockets that allow for 100-plus mile per hour shots, that conversation will resolve with men continuing to wear helmets).
So, men and women playing a nearly identical game — 8 on 8, all shortsticks, 25-minute running halves, no face-offs/draws. Pretty different, right?
Again, these are all predictions or hunches. I recently asked an FIL official how far developed conversations around this topic were and was answered “less than 5 percent.” Which means there are many conversations and decisions forthcoming.
My argument is that many of lacrosse’s most influential stakeholders don’t realize how frequent, how soon or how important these conversations will be, nor how much each stakeholder’s “version” of the sport stands to benefit by having “Olympic lacrosse” look most like his or her game.
In promoting the Scherr piece when it was posted online last week, I tweeted, “Never has a bigger lacrosse story flown this far under the radar.
” It didn’t matter — shockingly few people clicked the link. Hopefully I’ve laid out the case why every lacrosse fan should care about the prospect of Olympic lacrosse. If not, then I can’t wait to see the sport’s equivalent reaction to that Friday last April when panicked texts bounced from college coach to club coach to teenager throughout the country.
Except this time, we better have an international data plan.
Jim Scherr will be one of many influencers and leaders speaking next week at the fourth Lacrosse Industry Summit at the Hilton Baltimore. To get your ticket to hear Jim and others, click here.
LaxCon 2021: World Lacrosse and the Olympic Movement
During this year’s US Lacrosse Convention, World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr provided an update on the organization and went in-depth on the path to the Olympics.
Scherr is perhaps uniquely qualified to provide this analysis, given his diversified background in the Olympic network.
A wrestler who represented the United States in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Scherr went on to serve as the executive director of USA Wrestling and the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
He joined World Lacrosse in 2017 as the organization’s first full-time employee. The organization has four key platforms set forth in its strategic plan adopted in 2018 — grow, build, lead and influence. All of these will hopefully lead to the organization’s ultimate goal, helping lacrosse reach the Olympic Games.
“Those four key platforms, grow the game, build the platform and resources, lead the sport – meaning that our governance and structure get better, and influence the IOC are really critical points to achieving that vision,” Scherr said.
The drive to the Olympics was a primary reason the World Lacrosse position appealed to Scherr. Thanks to the support of benefactors that share the vision, the organization has made significant strides in recent years. World Lacrosse now has 68 member nations — adding five new countries from November 2019 through the end of last year — and Uganda became the first full-member nation from continental Africa.
“We’ve built our staff from just myself in 2017 to eight, soon to be 10,” Scherr said. “We’ve built our management capabilities. Our board continues to change from a board that was more operational to now a board that is more strategic. We’ve gotten our countries more involved, our general assembly is more vibrant, but we need to continue to improve our governance structure, both at the World Lacrosse level and at each of our national governing bodies.”
Improving the foundation is key, but World Lacrosse also needs to sell the sport to people that are in many cases unfamiliar with it. There are also logistical challenges to being in the Olympics — the International Olympic Committee (IOC) limit on number of athletes, tight television windows and infrastructure costs among them.
“We need to be viewed positively by the IOC to become an Olympic sport,” Scherr said. “We need to build our influence in a good way. We need the members of the IOC, and particularly those who are in key positions, to know they can trust the leaders of World Lacrosse./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62773016/usa_today_10856160.0.jpg)
”
“The opportunity goes back to the individual athlete and their dream of being in the Olympic Games. We would like to provide that for the athletes of lacrosse. In our polling, virtually 100 percent of the athletes want to have that dream.”
The most likely path to Olympic inclusion would be as a host city sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. There are 28 sports traditionally in the Olympics, but beginning with the Tokyo Games, originally scheduled for last summer, the IOC allowed the host to add “local” sports that they view as important to their city, region or country. Five sports were added for Tokyo and four for Paris in 2024.
With the strength of lacrosse in North America, Scherr feels that the sport has a strong opportunity to be included in Los Angeles in 2028. But it won’t be easy.
“This is a process that’s exceptionally difficult,” Scherr said. “There’s a tremendous amount of competitors because the stakes are so high.
It’s so beneficial for a sport to get on the Olympic Games program, even if it’s for one games as a host city sport because you have a platform that not only virtually everyone in your country consumes, but more than four billion people around the world consume your sport in some way.”
But for Scherr, it’s not just about what it means for the sport, but what it means to the players.
“The opportunity goes back to the individual athlete and their dream of being in the Olympic Games,” Scherr said. “We would like to provide that for the athletes of lacrosse. In our polling, virtually 100 percent of the athletes want to have that dream.”
Scherr believes lacrosse has tremendous appeal to the Olympics.
“Lacrosse is an incredibly attractive sport for the Olympic Games and for the Olympic movement for any number of reasons,” Scherr said. “The first thing I would say, it is a great sport. It’s played by a lot of great people around the world.
It demonstrates the key values of the Olympic movement – excellence, friendship and lacrosse. When you go to a lacrosse game, you can feel the culture of the sport.
“Additionally, the sport has incredibly growing numbers in North America, which is important to the L.A. Games, but also growing around the world. It is one of the sports that the IOC is looking to match up with in terms of creating relevance for the future. It is sport that is driven by youth. The IOC wants to embrace youth and it’s a great match that way.”
But in order to achieve the dream of the Olympics, the sport has to be nimble enough to fit the parameters Olympic organizers are faced with addressing.
The sheer number of athletes involved in the traditional field game makes it highly unlikely that version of the sport would fit into the Olympic program. So, over the last couple of years, World Lacrosse has been testing a new 6 v. 6 discipline of the sport to help make it more appealing for the Olympics.
This is not an effort to replace the traditional field game for World Lacrosse championships, but rather a supplement, specifically designed for the Olympics and other multi-sport international competitions, such as The World Games. Both men’s and women’s lacrosse will be included in The World Games in Birmingham, Ala., in 2022, a showcase opportunity for lacrosse to show its value to the international sporting community.
“If you look at the games and you look at the numbers, the Olympic Games has been capped at 10,500 total athletes,” Scherr said. “The host city sports for Tokyo added 474 total athletes, 234 of those alone from baseball, softball. Paris added four sports, 232 total athletes. We have to keep in mind that we’re not going to become an Olympic sport with our full-field game. However, Lacrosse Sixes has an excellent opportunity, particularly if we can get this game to fit the television window, fit the window of live play during the Olympic Games, decrease the cost and complexity of staging this competition, but also create a product that is very consumable on digital and social media.
That was our goal with Lacrosse Sixes. We’re on the way. It’s not the full-field game, but we think it offers an incredible amount as a potential Olympic discipline.”
‘It’s more than a game to us.’
Lyle Thompson, the 28-year-old lacrosse star some consider one of the greatest to play the game, has a request. Look beyond his blistering goals, behind-the-head passes, NCAA records, and Nike sponsorship. Forget about his three lacrosse-loving brothers who, like him, all play professionally. Instead, dig a little deeper. Think about the meaning of the two-foot braid that drapes down his back, a show of pride in his heritage. Then, Thompson insists, you might begin to understand the origins of his blood-boiling frustration.
“The story that’s always told is about winning,” Thompson says. “But I don’t want to be the most marketable player in lacrosse or in the Hall of Fame. I want to honor the game. I want people to understand there is value in the medicine game.
This is our gift to the world. And a vehicle to help people understand who we are.”
The “we” Thompson refers to is the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, the six nations that cross the U.S.-Canadian border in the northeast corner of North America. It is here, as far back as 1,000 years ago, where many believe Native Americans first invented lacrosse. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of men gathered on boundary-less fields in pursuit of goals stretched miles apart.
For the Iroquois, the game carries a cultural and spiritual importance unlike any other. They believe lacrosse, originally played between land and winged animals long before there was human life on Earth, was gifted to them from the Creator.
Thompson, the son of an iron worker who played box (indoor) lacrosse and the youngest of four brothers, is a member of the Onondaga Nation, a 7,300-acre territory just south of Syracuse, New York. Like other Haudenosaunee nations, the Onondaga operate outside the jurisdiction of New York state as a sovereign, independent nation with its own laws, language, customs, and culture.
Lacrosse is at the heart of that culture, a game the Iroquois play not only to entertain the Creator but to assert their sovereignty and independence to the world.
“It’s more than a game to us,” says Rex Lyons, a former lacrosse player and the son of 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper Oren Lyons. “It’s an identity.”
Today, the relationship between the Iroquois and the sport that means so much to them is as complicated as ever. Lacrosse is still riding the wave of a massive popularity boom in the early 2000s, with more than 830,000 Americans now participating in the game, a 227-percent increase, according to the 2018 U.S. Lacrosse participation report. There are five professional leagues in the U.S., including Major League Lacrosse, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary. The game also continues to grow internationally, with more than 66 national teams recognized by World Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body.
The sport’s leaders want to capitalize on its growth and return lacrosse to the Olympics when the Summer Games come to Los Angeles in 2028.
But a troubling question looms for the game’s originators: Will Olympic sport status mean leaving the Iroquois behind?
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Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Left: The Iroquois Nationals prefer to travel using the Haudenosaunee passport, displayed here by a team member in 2010, even though many countries don’t recognize it as an official travel document.
Right: Bret Bucktooth talks to his Iroquois National teammates at practice at Wagner College in Staten Island as they wait for their visas to travel to Manchester, England for the World Lacrosse Championships in 2010. The team was ultimately unable to compete because the UK refused to accept their travel documents without a U.S. or Canadian passport.
Photograph by Ramin Talaie, Corbis via Getty Images
The medicine game
Among the Iroquois, when a young child receives his given native name, the community’s chief, or faith keeper, holds the child to the sky and blesses the child with the hope they will grow up to be one of three things: a singer and dancer of the native songs, a speaker of the native language, or a lacrosse player.
Elders place miniature wooden lacrosse sticks in newborns’ cribs. And when someone’s life comes to an end, sticks are placed in the coffin. The game anticipates life and awaits players in the spirit world.
“That stick represents everything from the earth that grows,” Lyons said. “The netting is representative of the deer, the leader of animals from all five continents. The weave in the netting, the connecting of all those hoops, that’s the clans, the families all connected together. And the ball, of course, is the medicine.”
The four Thompson brothers and their sister grew up in a modest home built by their father Jerome. For much of their childhood they had no electricity or running water. The four boys, Jerome Jr., Jeremy, Miles, and Lyle, all slept in the same bedroom, often with their sticks by their side. Upon returning home from school the first thing they would do is grab their sticks and head into the yard. They’d shoot into a small box their dad had built, with a hole just big enough to fit a lacrosse ball.
“That stick was my best friend,” Lyle says. “It was my everything. I slept with it every single night.”
While Jeremy played at Syracuse and Jerome attended Onondaga Community College, Lyle and Miles starred together at the University of Albany. In 2014 they not only became the first Native Americans to win the Mohawk-named Tewaaraton Award, lacrosse’s version of the Heisman, but were the first to tie for the honor. Lyle went on to win the award again in 2015 after Miles graduated, finishing his career with an NCAA record 400 points.
But the Thompsons believe the game has a spiritual impact far greater than records or awards. The game contains medicine, the Iroquois say. Even today, medicine games are called whenever someone in the community is in need. Poles are jammed into the ground on opposite ends of a field and men and boys of all ages compete to score a predetermined number of goals. Afterwards, the deerskin ball is given to that individual in need.
“It’s about the feeling and the importance of why we are there—to perform for the Creator or someone who needs it and is ill,” says Jeremy.
In 1983, the Iroquois sought to share that energy and use the sport as a vehicle to continue their fight for sovereignty and independence from their Canadian and U.S. neighbors. They successfully petitioned what was then the Federation of International Lacrosse to recognize the Iroquois as a national lacrosse team.
Today, Thompson and the Iroquois are rock stars in any tournament in which they compete, drawing fans from around the globe as the only Native American team that competes internationally as a sovereign people. The FIL, which has since become World Lacrosse, is the lone international sports federation recognizing a group of independent people as its own federation.
Despite drawing from a population of just 125,000 people, the Iroquois are widely regarded among the most successful lacrosse national teams in the world, along with the United States (population 328 million) and Canada (population 33 million). The Iroquois men finished third in the last two field lacrosse world championships and second in all five world box lacrosse championships.
The Iroquois women’s team finished seventh in 2007.
The Thompson Brothers have their own line of Nike apparel, including hoodies, caps, backpacks, and lacrosse cleats. And at the heart of the Onondaga social life is its 1,900-seat, 40,000-square foot state-of-the-art Onondaga Nation Arena, which doubles as an indoor facility for both hockey and lacrosse. In 2015, the arena helped host the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.
“There is no other sport like this in the world, with an origin story of a game shared with the world by an indigenous group, and that group not only still competes today but does so as one of the very best teams out there,” said Steve Stenersen, the CEO of USA Lacrosse and a Vice President for World Lacrosse. “What they have done is beyond remarkable.”
The Iroquois believe lacrosse contains medicine and organize games whenever someone in the community is in need. Afterwards the deerskin ball is given to that person. Here, lacrosse balls rest in the net during an Iroquois Nationals practice session in 2010.
Photograph by Ramin Talaie, Corbis via Getty Images
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The fight for inclusion
This summer, fresh off a match with his professional club, the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Lyle Thompson learned on Twitter that the World Games, a quadrennial sports festival held as a showcase for non-Olympic sports, had announced the eight-team field for its inaugural men’s lacrosse championships in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. The list did not include the Iroquois Nationals.
“It’s not like I was surprised,” Thompson said. “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t make my blood boil.”
The uniqueness of the Iroquois sovereignty has created issues over the years with the team’s ability to travel internationally. They insist on traveling solely on their Haudenosaunee passport, which many countries don’t recognize as a travel document because it doesn’t meet post-9/11 security requirements. With the 2022 World Games in the United States, there didn’t appear to be any road blocks to the Iroquois’ inclusion.
Until there were. (Meet the survivors of an Indigenous ‘paper genocide.’)
“It’s so disheartening. You just wonder ‘how is this still happening?” Thompson said. “Why can’t people understand what’s going on and make the right decisions?’”
One of Thompson’s Iroquois Nationals teammates, Randy Staats, was in the Major League Lacrosse bubble in Annapolis, Maryland with Canadian stars Mark Matthews and Shayne Jackson when he got the news.
“They both just looked me and were like ‘are you kidding me?” Staats said. “That’s complete bulls—.’ We honestly thought it was some sort of mistake.”
It wasn’t a mistake. The World Games eligibility criteria mirrors that of the International Olympic Committee, and because the Iroquois are not one of the 206 IOC-recognized National Olympic Committees, the World Games omitted them.
Thompson, Staats, and others vented their frustration on social media, and the lacrosse community rallied in support. More than 50,000 people signed a petition on change.
org to include the Iroquois in the World Games field. Staats wrote an article for an online lacrosse publication that read in part: “We deserve the legitimacy as a nation that our passports, culture, and history provide. We shouldn’t have to fight to be treated as equals, it simply should be.”
“Before this I’d never stuck my neck out like that or done uncomfortable things,” Staats said. “But this was about right vs. wrong. It’s about who we are as people.”
The controversy was reminiscent of 2010, when the Iroquois were unable to compete at the World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England because neither the U.S. nor the UK would honor the Haudenosaunee passport. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton secured single-use waivers that allowed the team to travel, but the UK refused to accept the waivers unless accompanied by a U.S. or Canadian passport.
“We don’t identify with being Canadian citizens. We don’t identify with being American citizens,” Lyle Thompson said.
“We want to be recognized for who we are. You look at these other countries that are able to participate in these events, they get to honor their country and be recognized for who they are and where they are from. That’s what I want—without this continuous fight.”
The World Games battle carried even greater importance than the Manchester situation. Lacrosse hasn’t been in the Olympics as a medal sport since 1908, and in 2018 the International Olympic Committee took the first steps to allow lacrosse to potentially return by awarding it provisional recognition. The Iroquois knew that if they weren’t allowed to compete in the World Games, their Olympic dreams—and the increased respect and visibility they hoped would come along—were dead.
“The game has changed the way we view the world and how the world views us,” says Leo Nolan, the Nationals executive director. “It’s helped people recognize who we are. You want that to continue.”
Added Thompson: “You want to inspire someone from Team USA or Canada so that when they become the people in the big offices, they will understand our story and they will make decisions based on what they know about us as people, and what is right.
”
The Iroquois clearly have had that sort of impact on Ireland, the ninth-ranked team in the world. The Irish knew they were only in the eight-team field because of the Iroquois’ exclusion. Ireland Lacrosse polled its coaches, players, alumni, and other stakeholders asking if they were aware of the Iroquois controversy and had strong feelings one way or another about what the Irish should do.
“And overwhelmingly the response was to right what we perceived as a wrong,” said Catherine Conway of Ireland Lacrosse. “And not just through some statement on social media that gives you clout, but to actually do something.”
In September, the Irish informed the World Games they were withdrawing from the competition with the expectation that the Iroquois would take their place. The World Games asked the Iroquois to obtain letters from the U.S. and Canadian lacrosse federations as well as the U.S. and Canadian Olympic Committees that there was no objection to the Iroquois’ inclusion.
Five days later, the World Games announced a new field of eight teams, this time with the Iroquois Nationals.
Upon hearing the news, Rex Lyons printed out the World Games statement and handed it to his father, the 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper. Oren Lyons had originally proposed starting a national lacrosse team almost forty years earlier. He’s lived the struggle for respect. Oren slowly read the page his son handed him and responded with one word: “Amazing.”
“It was simply the right thing to do,” Rex said. “But it floored me. Those principles are difficult to come by anymore. My dad was at a loss for words.”
“This is a sport unique to North America. The World Games are in North America. And this group holds a special place in the game,” World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said. “I think the World Games realized it merited some additional consideration to try and find a solution. And we are glad that they did.”
But now comes the biggest fight of all. Lacrosse will do everything it can to return to the Olympic stage, and the Iroquois Nationals worry at what expense.
The Iroquois insist they are working on creating a National Olympic Committee, but the IOC only recognizes a country’s National Olympic Committee if that country is recognized by more than half of the United Nations. The Haudenosaunee are not currently recognized. (Here’s how mapmakers are helping indigenous people defend their lands.)
Thompson fears World Lacrosse might view the Iroquois as a detriment to its Olympic argument, something the IOC just won’t want to deal with. Allowing the Iroquois to compete could open the door for other marginalized groups to demand Olympic inclusion.
“You hope decisions would be made on what is morally right, not just what is good for World Lacrosse,” Thompson says. “My concern is that what they think is good for them is to do whatever it takes to get lacrosse in the Olympics, even if it means not including the Iroquois Nationals.”
Scherr insists that isn’t the case. Step one is just getting into the Olympics. From there, he admits the Iroquois case is complicated, saying, “It requires people to be educated.
And it isn’t a ten-minute conversation.” But he and Stenersen both refute the suggestion that World Lacrosse doesn’t want the Iroquois in the Olympics, should lacrosse get there.
“From an emotional standpoint, it doesn’t seem all that complicated,” Stenersen said. “If there’s a tournament and they’ve qualified, they should be there. If they can’t, it feels like nobody should be there. That’s how important they are to this game.”
“But right or wrong, the world has evolved in a certain way,” he added. “It creates complex challenges. We want to do everything we can to get lacrosse into the Olympics and then make the best argument we can for the Nationals inclusion in the Games. We want them there.” (This is the Olympics’ turbulent history in times of global crisis.)
The Iroquois know their story is unlike any other in sports. They know they are the biggest draw in any tournament they enter. They have the Thompson brothers, led by Lyle, the No. 1 player in the world.
They have their own flag and national anthem. They represent a real-life connection to the game’s historical and spiritual roots. And they are optimistic that the social justice and equality movement sweeping the U.S. in 2020 will only help their case for inclusion.
Lyle Thompson wears a long braid down his back as a show of pride in his heritage. He and his three older brothers grew up playing lacrosse, which they believe was gifted to them by the Creator.
Photograph by Kevin Liles, Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
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Is it enough? For now, Thompson prepares for another fight. He has four daughters and a son. Seventeen nieces and nephews. He wants this for them.
“We have to get ready to make another stand,” Thompson says. “We have to get ready to fight for our sovereignty in front of the Olympic committee.”
It is a fight that means far more than the ability to compete on sport’s grandest stage. In the Iroquois’ eyes, it’s about equality, inclusion, respect, and the expansion of what it means to be a nation in the Olympic and sporting world. The outpouring of support this summer shows that at a grassroots level the lacrosse community has the Iroquois’ back. But now they want that respect from the world. They want to maintain the strongest of their roots to the past, while asserting their place in the future.
“We have our land. It’s treaty defined. It’s not a reservation,” Lyons said. “We have our own laws, chiefs, and leaders. So it’s important in the Olympics to carry our own flag. Not just for the Haudenosaunee, but for other indigenous people. We want to be recognized as who we are and who we have always been. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”
Wayne Drehs is a senior writer at ESPN. ESPN and National Geographic are both owned by The Walt Disney Company.
How Close Is Lacrosse To Reaching the Olympics?
The Olympics: A time to celebrate athletes from around the world for two weeks. During the summer games, athletes in track & field, judo, wrestling, and many more compete for a gold medal and pride for their countries.
There’s also athletes in equestrian, synchronized swimming, and race walking that compete for the hearts of millions around the world.
Pause for a moment, did you read those last three sports? People riding on horses (the horses are the real athletes here and they get no love), dancing in the water, and walking quick but not jogging. We make fun of race walkers pretty much on a daily basis (especially when they take a number 2) and they’re an olympic sport?
And not lacrosse!?
And thus, my argument for the inclusion of lacrosse for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, otherwise known as the 2024 Summer Olympics.
This began last week in an AOL.com article about why it should be in the Olympics. It was a pretty good article, and I couldn’t believe I was reading something from AOL.com in 2016. It’s like if Ja Rule or 98 Degrees made a pretty decent record and they had a semi-renaissance.
Also:
Corey McLaughlin of Lacrosse Magazine had a good post about the path the sport has taken in order to be considered for the Olympic games.
Like Golf, it’s been in the Olympics before, making appearances in 1904 and 1908 and Canada winning gold twice. They had Tug of War back then too. It’s been a long time. It was a demonstration event in 1948, the last time it appeared in the Olympics.
Currently, the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) has a total of 55 members, including China, Haiti, Peru, and our favorite, Uganda. The IOC requires 50 affiliated countries across three continents in order for consideration. The FIL has achieved that, and is still growing with each passing year.
We won’t know who will host the 2024 games until next September, but it’s down to Budapest, Rome, Paris, and Los Angeles. If you want to see lacrosse in 2024, you are rooting hard and strong for the “City of Angels” to get the bid.
Here’s why:
New Olympic organizing committee rules introduced through Olympic Agenda 2020 in 2014 allow host cities to propose locally enjoyed sports that meet IOC criteria to be included at their Games. The IOC must approve the sports by an all-members vote.
Future Summer Games host cities beginning with 2024 will be able to propose their own selection of sports – Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome are currently in the running for those Games.
Lacrosse is much more popular in the United States than in Hungary, France, and Italy. Plus, L.A. is part of a growing west region, especially in California, where the sport is starting to become popular.
But, the sport will have competition as well. Cricket, Billiards, and Boules (which is like Bocce) are eager to be in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
It will start in 2017 at the International World Games Association (IWGA) in Wroclaw, Poland. This can serve as a showcase for future games to be selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Here were the sports that wanted to be in the 2020 Summer Olympics, but didn’t get selected, with the three sports that just missed out in bold:
World Air Sports Federation – FAI
International Federation of American Football – IFAF
World Confederation of Billiards Sports – WCBS
Bowls Sports World Confederation – CMSB
World Bowling – WB
World Bridge Federation – WBF
World Chess Federation – FIDE
World DanceSport Federation – WDSF
International Floorball Federation – IFF
World Flying Disc Federation – WFDF
International Korfball Federation – IKF
International Netball Federation – INF
International Orienteering Federation – IOF
Federation of International Polo – FIP
International Racquetball Federation – IRF
World Squash Federation – WSF
International Sumo Federation – IFS
Tug of War International Federation – TWIF
World Underwater Federation – CMAS
International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation – IWWF
International Wushu Federation – IWUF
First off, tug of war has an international federation. It’s still looking for love.
Now, what to think of this list? If bridge, chess, or dancesport get in before lacrosse, which requires you to move and be active like most sports, that’s a crime against humanity. Like, dancesport is pretty much a professional version of Dancing With The Stars, just without the stars. It should never be a sport.
I imagine if Los Angeles gets the bid, there’s going to be a huge push for american football in the Olympics, because who doesn’t like football in this country. And besides, that’s a guaranteed gold medal for the United States.
But here’s the criteria that the Tokyo 2020 committee used:
The Tokyo 2020 committee listed the following criteria for new sports: added value; youth appeal; attractiveness for TV, media and the general public; gender equality; minimum impact on the number of events and/or quotas, infrastructure and operational costs and complexity.
I’m pretty sure lacrosse would be a great fit under this criteria, even over football. We wouldn’t be talking just men’s lacrosse, but also women’s. And maybe, beach lacrosse?
If lacrosse gets into the Olympics, it would be as exciting as some of the popular sports like basketball, track & field, and swimming, and as face-paced as handball, maybe even quicker.
Lacrosse is an ideal sport for the Olympics. And it’s actually a sport too where people run around and use their physical muscles to do things!
Plus, our athletes don’t destroy gas stations after a night out and then lie about it.
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Jeah.
Stick to your day job as the Snow Miser.
Iroquois Nationals seek NOC with lacrosse hopeful of Los Angles 2028 inclusion
The Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team have suggested they may form a National Olympic Committee (NOC) and seek International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition, with lacrosse seeking to be a part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Iroquois Nationals were at the centre of a dispute last year regarding the Birmingham 2022 World Games, after the team were initially excluded from the event.
The team and other Haudenosaunee people called for a boycott of the Games due to the absence of the side, which is ranked third in the world.
Ireland ultimately offered to withdraw to allow the team to take part, with the International World Games Association (IWGA) approving their entry.
Iroquois Nationals are a full member of World Lacrosse, the sport’s global governing body.
The Haudenosaunee – a Confederacy of six First Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora Nations – invented lacrosse.
The team is hoping to avoid a repeat should lacrosse succeed in being added to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics programme.
Leo Nolan, executive director of the Iroquois Nationals, told CBC that efforts were underway to establish a National Olympic Committee.
The NOC would then seek recognition from the IOC, which would enable them to feature should lacrosse join the programme.
“We basically have to sell the IOC on our international experience, our international standing, our sovereignty, and the good things that’ll happen if we’re there playing lacrosse, the game we originated,” Nolan told CBC.
“We think it’d be a great gesture, a great symbolic step for Indigenous communities.
“Not just us, not just American and Alaska natives, or First Nations folks, but for Indigenous communities around the world.”
Lacrosse could seek a place on the Los Angeles 2028 programme ©Getty Images
Lacrosse was one of three sports granted provisional IOC recognition in 2018, along with sambo and kickboxing.
The provisional recognition was granted for three years, with a decision on full recognition expected to be made later this year by the IOC Session.
Full recognition would allow the governing bodies to apply to feature on the Olympic programme.
Lacrosse has appeared twice on the Olympic programme, at St. Louis in 1904 and London 1908, when Canada won the gold medal each time.
It hopes to make another appearance in the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028.
Securing IOC recognition would likely be a major challenge for the Iroquois Nationals.
An Olympic Charter change in 1996 ruled that NOC recognition can “only be granted after recognition as an independent state by the international community”.
Kosovo and South Sudan are the most recent countries to have been granted Olympic recognition, in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
They are considered fully independent countries by the United Nations or, in Kosovo’s case, by more than 100 of its members.
The Faroe Islands are among the most high-profile NOCs to have sought IOC recognition in recent years, with the self-governing region of Denmark having seen its efforts rebuffed to date despite regional support.
90,000 Lacrosse in the Olympics is … What is Lacrosse in the Olympics?
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
Summer Olympics lacrosse competitions were held at only two Olympics – 1904 and 1908 – and were then canceled. Later, lacrosse competitions were included at three Olympics, but already as demonstrative ones. Lacrosse is not included in the list of sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Competitions
Competition 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 Years Men • • Ex. Ex. Ex. 2 Total 1 1 1 1 1 Prize-winners
Medal standings
Countries
Cf.also
References
Lacrosse at the Olympics
1904 • 1908 • 1912-1924 • 1928 * • 1932 * • 1936 • 1948 *
* Demonstration competitions
See also the list of winnersCategories:
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
- Sports at the Summer Olympics
Wikimedia Foundation.2010.
- EMSZ “Lepse”
- List of Olympic Lacrosse Medalists
See what “Lacrosse at the Olympics” is in other dictionaries:
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1908 – The IV Summer Olympics lacrosse competition took place on October 24th. Only two teams participated and played the only match. This is the last time lacrosse was officially part of the Olympic program.Contents … Wikipedia
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1904 – The 3rd Summer Olympics lacrosse competition was held for the first time on July 2 and 7. 36 athletes from two countries participated, which were divided into three teams. One of the Canadian teams was represented by the Mohawk Indians … Wikipedia
Olympic Swimming – Swimming at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Initially, the competitions were for men, the women’s disciplines appeared on … … Wikipedia
Cycling at the Olympics – Cycling at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games. In this sport, 18 sets of awards are played. Competitions on … … Wikipedia
Olympics Tennis – The Summer Olympics tennis competition first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and continued until the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, after which it was canceled.Then tennis was included in the Games program twice as … … Wikipedia
Shooting at the Olympics – Shooting competition at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been included in the program of every subsequent Games, except the Games of 1904 and 1928. Initially, the competition was for men, … … Wikipedia
Great Britain at the Olympic Games – IOC Code … Wikipedia
Football at the Olympics – Football at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and was featured in every subsequent Games except the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.The original competition was … … Wikipedia
Volleyball at the Olympics – Volleyball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and has since been included in the program of each subsequent Games … Wikipedia
Basketball at the Olympics – Basketball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Prior to this, demonstration matches were held at the 1904 Games … … Wikipedia
90,000 Lacrosse in the Olympics is … What is Lacrosse in the Olympics?
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
Summer Olympics lacrosse competitions were held at only two Olympics – 1904 and 1908 – and were then canceled. Later, lacrosse competitions were included at three Olympics, but already as demonstrative ones.Lacrosse is not included in the list of sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Competitions
Competition 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 Years Men • • Ex. Ex. Ex. 2 Total 1 1 1 1 1 Prize-winners
Medal standings
Countries
See also
References
Lacrosse at the Olympics
1904 • 1908 • 1912-1924 • 1928 * • 1932 * • 1936 • 1948 *
* Demonstration competition
Seealso the list of prize-winnersCategories:
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
- Sports at the Summer Olympics
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
- EMSZ “Lepse”
- List of Olympic Lacrosse Medalists
See what “Lacrosse at the Olympics” is in other dictionaries:
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1908 – The IV Summer Olympics lacrosse competition took place on October 24th.Only two teams participated and played the only match. This is the last time lacrosse was officially part of the Olympic program. Contents … Wikipedia
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1904 – The 3rd Summer Olympics lacrosse competition was held for the first time on July 2 and 7. 36 athletes from two countries participated, which were divided into three teams. One of the Canadian teams was represented by the Mohawk Indians … Wikipedia
Olympic Swimming – Swimming at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Initially, the competitions were for men, the women’s disciplines appeared on … … Wikipedia
Cycling at the Olympics – Cycling at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games. In this sport, 18 sets of awards are played. Competitions on … … Wikipedia
Olympics Tennis – The Summer Olympics tennis competition first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and continued until the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, after which it was canceled.Then tennis was included in the Games program twice as … … Wikipedia
Shooting at the Olympics – Shooting competition at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been included in the program of every subsequent Games, except the Games of 1904 and 1928. Initially, the competition was for men, … … Wikipedia
Great Britain at the Olympic Games – IOC Code … Wikipedia
Football at the Olympics – Football at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and was featured in every subsequent Games except the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.The original competition was … … Wikipedia
Volleyball at the Olympics – Volleyball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and has since been included in the program of each subsequent Games … Wikipedia
Basketball at the Olympics – Basketball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Prior to this, demonstration matches were held at the 1904 Games … … Wikipedia
90,000 Lacrosse in the Olympics is … What is Lacrosse in the Olympics?
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
Summer Olympics lacrosse competitions were held at only two Olympics – 1904 and 1908 – and were then canceled. Later, lacrosse competitions were included at three Olympics, but already as demonstrative ones.Lacrosse is not included in the list of sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Competitions
Competition 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 Years Men • • Ex. Ex. Ex. 2 Total 1 1 1 1 1 Prize-winners
Medal standings
Countries
See also
References
Lacrosse at the Olympics
1904 • 1908 • 1912-1924 • 1928 * • 1932 * • 1936 • 1948 *
* Demonstration competition
Seealso the list of prize-winnersCategories:
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
- Sports at the Summer Olympics
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
- EMSZ “Lepse”
- List of Olympic Lacrosse Medalists
See what “Lacrosse at the Olympics” is in other dictionaries:
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1908 – The IV Summer Olympics lacrosse competition took place on October 24th.Only two teams participated and played the only match. This is the last time lacrosse was officially part of the Olympic program. Contents … Wikipedia
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1904 – The 3rd Summer Olympics lacrosse competition was held for the first time on July 2 and 7. 36 athletes from two countries participated, which were divided into three teams. One of the Canadian teams was represented by the Mohawk Indians … Wikipedia
Olympic Swimming – Swimming at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Initially, the competitions were for men, the women’s disciplines appeared on … … Wikipedia
Cycling at the Olympics – Cycling at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games. In this sport, 18 sets of awards are played. Competitions on … … Wikipedia
Olympics Tennis – The Summer Olympics tennis competition first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and continued until the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, after which it was canceled.Then tennis was included in the Games program twice as … … Wikipedia
Shooting at the Olympics – Shooting competition at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been included in the program of every subsequent Games, except the Games of 1904 and 1928. Initially, the competition was for men, … … Wikipedia
Great Britain at the Olympic Games – IOC Code … Wikipedia
Football at the Olympics – Football at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and was featured in every subsequent Games except the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.The original competition was … … Wikipedia
Volleyball at the Olympics – Volleyball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and has since been included in the program of each subsequent Games … Wikipedia
Basketball at the Olympics – Basketball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Prior to this, demonstration matches were held at the 1904 Games … … Wikipedia
90,000 Lacrosse in the Olympics is … What is Lacrosse in the Olympics?
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
Summer Olympics lacrosse competitions were held at only two Olympics – 1904 and 1908 – and were then canceled. Later, lacrosse competitions were included at three Olympics, but already as demonstrative ones.Lacrosse is not included in the list of sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Competitions
Competition 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 Years Men • • Ex. Ex. Ex. 2 Total 1 1 1 1 1 Prize-winners
Medal standings
Countries
See also
References
Lacrosse at the Olympics
1904 • 1908 • 1912-1924 • 1928 * • 1932 * • 1936 • 1948 *
* Demonstration competition
Seealso the list of prize-winnersCategories:
- Lacrosse at the Olympics
- Sports at the Summer Olympics
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
- EMSZ “Lepse”
- List of Olympic Lacrosse Medalists
See what “Lacrosse at the Olympics” is in other dictionaries:
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1908 – The IV Summer Olympics lacrosse competition took place on October 24th.Only two teams participated and played the only match. This is the last time lacrosse was officially part of the Olympic program. Contents … Wikipedia
Summer Olympics Lacrosse 1904 – The 3rd Summer Olympics lacrosse competition was held for the first time on July 2 and 7. 36 athletes from two countries participated, which were divided into three teams. One of the Canadian teams was represented by the Mohawk Indians … Wikipedia
Olympic Swimming – Swimming at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Initially, the competitions were for men, the women’s disciplines appeared on … … Wikipedia
Cycling at the Olympics – Cycling at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been featured in every subsequent Games. In this sport, 18 sets of awards are played. Competitions on … … Wikipedia
Olympics Tennis – The Summer Olympics tennis competition first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and continued until the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, after which it was canceled.Then tennis was included in the Games program twice as … … Wikipedia
Shooting at the Olympics – Shooting competition at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and has since been included in the program of every subsequent Games, except the Games of 1904 and 1928. Initially, the competition was for men, … … Wikipedia
Great Britain at the Olympic Games – IOC Code … Wikipedia
Football at the Olympics – Football at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and was featured in every subsequent Games except the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.The original competition was … … Wikipedia
Volleyball at the Olympics – Volleyball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and has since been included in the program of each subsequent Games … Wikipedia
Basketball at the Olympics – Basketball at the Summer Olympics first appeared at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and has since been featured in every subsequent Games.Prior to this, demonstration matches were held at the 1904 Games … … Wikipedia
90,000 Disappeared Jaet de pomme, lacrosse, rock and other losers of the Olympic Games: Gymnastics: Sports: Lenta.ru
The programs of the Olympic Games are constantly changing: some sports are recognized by the IOC, others, on the contrary, are losing their invaluable status. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, high-profile golf and rugby, popular in Europe, will appear before the audience. But the position of the struggle was pretty shaken – it stayed in the OI-2020 program only thanks to the active campaign of the Russian Olympic Committee.Others were less fortunate – “Lenta.ru” recalls sports that have been excluded from the programs over a century of gaming history.
The roots of the same de poma (from the French jeu – game, paume – palm) go back to the Middle Ages. The ancient fun became the ancestor of tennis, squash, racquetball (a game reminiscent of squash) and handball. The first mentions of the same de pome appeared in the 13th century – even then it was played in France, Italy and England.
The rules are extremely simple: you need to throw a small ball over a stretched net or rope with your hand.Then, as a game projectile, they began to use a bat – a wide stick, and later they switched to the prototypes of rackets. Special closed halls called “tripo” (from French tripot ) became a place for playing in the same de pom. In Paris alone, there were more than 200 such rooms that immediately attracted the capital’s bourgeois – the game was affordable mainly for members of the royal court and high-ranking nobles.
They played in the same de pom for money: the stake was an ecu coin (equal to 60 sous) – an artisan with this amount could quite easily exist for several weeks.The ecu was divided into four parts of 15 sous, each of which was worth one point. From here, by the way, came the scoring system in modern tennis, only “45” was replaced by “40” for the convenience of commenting – shouting out a short number is much more energetic.
The game was included in the program of the 1908 Olympics in London, but, ironically, only the British and Americans took part in the first and last Olympic tournament in the same de-pom, not its creators – the French.American Jay Gould became the winner.
However, more than a century later, the same de pom reminds of itself – under the jurisdiction of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of St. Petersburg State University is the building for this game, built at the end of the 18th century. To this day, the building bears the historical name “Je-de-Pom”, and this year the leadership of St. Petersburg State University has planned to carry out its restoration.
Corps for playing in the “Je-de-pom”, St. Petersburg
This sport originated on the other side of the planet – in North America.Moreover, the game was not a hobby of the upper strata of society, but part of the training process of the warriors of Indian tribes.
Thanks to lacrosse, the Indians increased their endurance. Nobody approved the standard size of the field, so the game could take place on a field several kilometers long with the participation of hundreds of people. The rules were simple: to drive the ball into the goal using a kind of club and your own legs. Often important issues were resolved in lacrosse matches – the Indians played in a tribe-for-tribe format, challenging, for example, the right to territory.
More than a century ago, lacrosse was recognized by the IOC and was included in the program of two Summer Games – 1904 and 1908. In St. Louis-1904, three teams competed with each other – the US team and two Canadian teams, with the second Canadian being made up of Indians. Then the organizers of the tournament did not really care about documentation and reporting, so the members of the Indian team showed up under the popular names. For example, for Canada-2 were announced: Black Eagle, Crescent, Night Hawk and Soap Fearful Man.
Indians play lacrosse
Indians lost to the Americans in the semifinals (0: 2), and in the match for the gold medals, the Stars and Stripes were defeated by the first Canadian team with a score of 8: 2. In 1908, only one match was played in the discipline of lacrosse – between Canada and Great Britain. The North Americans lost again, after which lacrosse lost its place in the Olympic program.
Roque resembles a mixture of mini golf and billiards. The gameplay takes place on a small fenced area.Participants must drive the ball exactly into the small goal, which is greatly helped by the skill of playing “from the board”.
This sport stood out from rock and appeared in the program of the Olympic Games only once – in 1904. Moreover, the same number of athletes came to the tournament as many years have passed since the beginning of the century. As a result, the first and only rock champion was the American Charles Jacobs. And it is unlikely that anyone else will soon join him – only small local competitions are held in this sport, and the American National Rock League has actually not functioned for ten years.
Players compete in the ability to hit the ball faster with hammer blows through the hoop, placed along a certain route. Croquet originated in England, but only the French participated in the 1900 Paris Olympics, and some of them were related to each other. Like rock, croquet lost its place in the Olympic program for lack of entertainment.
Croquet game
Photo: AP
Another invention of British sports fans. The essence of the game is simple: two or four participants take turns throwing the ball into the wall so that when it rebounds, it hits half of the opponent.When one player makes a mistake, the right to serve is transferred to another, and so on.
The British achieved the inclusion of rackets in the program of the 1908 Olympics in London, where they competed for two sets of awards – in singles and doubles. Only seven Britons have applied for participation. Evan Noel became the best in the individual tournament, and Wayne Pennell and John Jacob Astor won gold in doubles. After the London Games, they did not hear about racket at the Olympics.
Pelota is a kind of tennis and a prototype of squash.The player kicks the ball against the wall, his opponent kicks it back. The name of the game comes from the ball itself – “pilota”.
Basque pelota originated more than 500 years ago and became widespread in South America and Western Europe. Especially the Spaniards and the French succumbed to the hobby, who competed among themselves for a set of awards at the 1900 Olympics. Then the pelota was excluded from the main program of the Summer Games, but fans of this sport do not let it “die”. Nowadays, the International Federation of the Basque Pelota is functioning quite successfully, which regularly organizes world championships, and at the OI-1968 and 1992 the game was shown to the audience as a demonstration – officially the IOC does not recognize it, but gives the status of a developing sport.
Lacrosse at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Lacrosse at the Olympics
| Lacrosse for men at the Games of the III Olympiad | |
|---|---|
1904 Olympic Champion, Shamrock Lacrosse Team | |
| Venue | Francis Field |
| Dates | 5-7 July |
| Competitors | |
| Medalists | |
Lacrosse was played on the field at the 1904 Summer Olympics, which marked the first time lacrosse was introduced to the Olympics.Three teams participated – two from Canada and one from the USA. One of the Canadian teams consisted entirely of players from the Iroquois nation. The winning Shamrock lacrosse team is better known as Winnipeg Shamrocks.
The second American team, Brooklyn Crescents, was originally supposed to complete the course, but did not participate. They were supposed to play the semi-finals against the Shamrocks, but arrived too late and were disqualified.
Medal Table
Summary of the medal
Results obtained
| Semifinal | Final | ||||||||
| Canada (CAN) Shamrock Lacrosse Team | 8 | ||||||||
| USA (USA) St. Louis Athletics Association | 2 | ||||||||
| USA (USA) St. Louis Athletics Association | 2 | ||||||||
| Canada (CAN) Iroquois Indians | 0 | ||||||||
Compositions
Shamrock Lacrosse Team
Shamrock Lacrosse Club, 1904 Olympic Champions
Sources:
St. Louis Athletics Association
Source:
Mohawk Indians
The Man Who Is Afraid of Soap was also known as Freeman Joseph Isaacs, father of Bill Isaacs, a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee.The English names of these players are: Joe Crawford, Philip Jackson, Eli Warner, Amos Obedia, Thomas Will. Berman L. Snow, L. Bambury, JB Iver, Eli Martin, Sandy Turkey, Austin Bill, V.E. Martin, Jacob Jameson, Eli Henry, Joe Clark, Frank Seneca, Charlie Jonon, and Robert Lottridge.
See also
Recommendations
external link
Games of the III Olympiad in St. Louis
The III Summer Olympics were held in St. Louis from July 1 to November 23, 1904.The Games, like the previous competitions in Paris, were timed to coincide with the World Exhibition. According to Coubertin’s idea, after Greece and France, the Olympics are best held in the United States. Five cities were considered as candidates: Buffalo, New York, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Chicago.
Chicago was preferred. But soon the Olympic Committee was faced with an unexpected problem. Chicago has a competitor – the small port city of St. Louis, which planned to host the World’s Fair this summer, dedicated to Louisiana’s entry into the United States.This exhibition was to host a major athletics event, and well-funded organizers were set to outshine the Olympic Games.
Later, the organizers realized that this was a mistake: the sporting events were lost among the other events of the exhibition and were again very extended in time.
Compared to the 1900 Games, the St. Louis Olympics were much more modest: many athletes from Europe, Asia and Australia could not fly across the ocean due to the high cost of tickets.Among the countries not represented at the Olympics were: Russia, Argentina, Belgium, Bohemia, Denmark, India, Spain, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Sweden. The only country to visit for the first time was South Africa.
In total, 651 participants took part in the Games, including 6 women, from 12 countries (of which only 53 people were not from America – representatives of England, Hungary, Germany and Greece). Americans made up 523 of the total number of athletes, and in more than half of the competitions, medals were contested exclusively between them.
Participants competed for 94 sets of medals in 18 sports.
The United States won a total of 238 medals thanks to its significant numerical superiority, the largest achievement in Olympic history.
Not without controversy. The United States was criticized for the fact that several European immigrants who did not yet have citizenship were in favor of this country. Norway most recently, in 2012, called on the IOC to officially change the citizenship of two gold medal wrestlers.
The program of the III Summer Games included: rowing, boxing, wrestling, cycling, golf, lacrosse, athletics, tug-of-war, swimming, diving, rocky, artistic gymnastics, archery, tennis, fencing, football, weightlifting and fight. The latter two sports returned to the Olympics after a break, with boxing, lacrosse, diving and rocky competitions taking place for the first time. But Basque pelota, cricket, croquet, sailing, polo and shooting were excluded from the program.Demonstration sports were presented for the first time – demonstration performances were held in basketball and water polo.
- Opening ceremony of the III Olympic Games
Unlike the previous Games, the official opening ceremony took place at these Games, albeit timed to coincide with the opening of the Exhibition. It took place on July 1. In the central square of St. Louis, in warm and sunny weather, in the presence of three thousand spectators and various officials, David Francis, who served as director of the World’s Fair, gave a speech in which he declared the “III Olympic Games open.”
There was no closing ceremony, and therefore the last day of the Games is November 23, when the last sporting event (soccer match between two American teams) was held.
Modern Olympic Games usually last just over two weeks, but the 1904 Games lasted 146 grueling days. While most of the track and field events took place from August 29 to September 3, the rest of the events spanned several months at the World Expo. As part of the Olympics, a military sports carnival, an Irish sports festival and even the YMCA basketball championship were held.
Another innovation at this Olympics was that, for the first time, awards were given to the three best athletes in each of the disciplines: gold, silver and bronze medals.
Gold and silver medal of the III Olympiad
The first place in the unofficial standings was taken by athletes from the USA. They have won 78 gold medals (and 238 in total). Athletes from Germany, Cuba and Canada won four gold medals each. The teams from Great Britain and France showed their worst results at this Olympiad.
Rowing at the 1904 Summer Olympics
All rowing competitions were held on July 30th. Compared to the previous Games, there were changes in the program – twos and fours competed without helmsmen, and for the first time paired twos competed.
Only 44 people took part in the competition. Each class involved two to four teams.
All medals were won by American rowers, except for the silver in eights for the Canadian crew.
Boxing at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Boxing competitions were first held at the Olympic Games, and these competitions were held on September 21 and 22. Only 18 American boxers participated. Disciplines varied in weight categories, but this rule was not always followed, and many participated in several tournaments at once. Charles Meyer, Harry Spanger and George Finnigan were able to simultaneously win one gold and one silver medal, and Oliver Kirk became the only two-time champion in the history of the Games in one Olympics.
Women entered the ring as part of a boxing competition, but their bouts were not counted. Only 108 years later, at the 2012 Olympics, women’s boxing was included in official competitions.
Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Wrestling competitions were held on October 14 and 15. Only American wrestlers participated, who competed in freestyle (and not Greco-Roman, as before) in seven weight classes first introduced in this sport.As in boxing competitions, some athletes participated in several tournaments at once.
Cycling at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Cycling competitions were held from 2 to 5 August. Only in these competitions, all distances were measured in miles, and races were held for a quarter, third, half and one whole mile, as well as for 2, 5 and 25 miles. Only 32 cyclists participated (of whom the names of fourteen are unknown), and they were all representatives of the United States.
Top Athletes were Marcus Harley, winner of four sprint races and bronze medalist in the 2 mile race, Barton Downing, winner of six medals (two gold, three silver and one bronze), and Teddy Billington, who came second and three times third.
Golf at the 1904 Summer Olympics
The golf competition was held for the second (and last) time at the Olympic Games. Women, in comparison with previous competitions, lost the right to participate in the competition, but instead a tournament was held among men’s teams.
Competitions were held from 17 to 24 September.
First the team tournament took place. Athletes from three American teams, who were representatives of various golf enthusiasts’ organizations, competed individually, and then their results were added. The best was the team of the Western Golf Association.
There were 74 athletes in singles – three from Canada and the rest from the United States. After qualification, in which 32 best golfers were selected, the playoffs were arranged. As a result, Canadian George Lyon became the best, American Chandler Egan became the silver medalist, and his compatriots Bart McKeaney and Francis Newton received bronze medals.
Lacrosse at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Lacrosse competitions were held from July 2 to July 7. In this national Canadian game, two teams from this country competed, and one of them consisted of the Hoghawks, and one American team. The winner was determined in two matches – the Mohawks won bronze medals, the Americans won silver, and the other team, Canada, became the winner of the tournament.
Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Athletics competitions were held at different times from July to August.Medals were awarded in 25 disciplines, two more than before. For the first time a decathlon competition was held. The athletes also competed for the first time in the team running 4 miles, triathlon and throwing weight at 56 pounds (25 kg), but these competitions were soon canceled. Most of the medals (68 out of 74) were won by US athletes, missing out on only two types of medals in each category.
The sprint program did not differ from previous Games, and seven races were held in it. Archie Hahn and Harry Hillman won three races each, while Frederick Skule was the best in the 110m hurdles.
In the jumping disciplines, everything went unchanged, and seven sets of awards were played. Mayer Prinstein defended his triple jump title and also won the long jump competition. Rei Yuri again became a three-time champion of the Games in three standing jumps.
There was one additional competition in the throw, the 56 lb throw. It was won by Canadian Etienne DeMarto. In the hammer throw, John Flanagan defended his champion title, and in the shot put and discus throw, Ralph Rose and Martin Sheridan received their first titles, respectively.
All-around was first held at the Olympic Games, and included two disciplines – decathlon and triathlon. Decathlon at the Games was somewhat different from the modern one – instead of a disc, they threw a hammer, instead of a spear, a weight of 56 pounds, and instead of running 400 meters, they walked 880 meters.The British Tom Keely became the winner, and the Americans Adam Gunn and Thruxton Hare took second and third position.
Eventing included the long jump, shot put and 100 yards. 118 athletes competed in it at once.The champion was Max Emmerich, the silver medalist John Graeb, and the bronze medalist William Merz.
Tug of War at the 1904 Summer Olympics
The tug of war was held on August 31 and September 1. They were attended by six teams of five people – one from Greece, four from the United States and one from South Africa.
Non-US teams were eliminated from the quarterfinals. The winners of the semi-finals competed in the final meeting, and the athletes from Milwaukee became champions.The losing team from New York was supposed to play another match to win the silver medals, but did not show up for the competition and finished in fourth place. The second and third positions were taken by athletes from St. Louis.
Along with the tug-of-war competition, the 1904 Games are known for being the last golf competition and the first and last diving medals contested.
Swimming at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Swimming competitions were held from 5 to 7 September.Distances were measured in yards and miles, but the IOC does not separate them into separate unique heats, but gives them the equivalent in the metric system. For the first time, races were held at 50 m (50 yards), 400 m (440 yards), 1500 m (1 mile) freestyle and 100 m (100 yards) backstroke. 880 yards freestyle, 400 m breaststroke and 4×50 freestyle relay were also included in the competition program, but were canceled at the next Games.
American Charles Daniels became the best swimmer. He became a champion in three disciplines, as well as a silver and bronze medalist.Hungarian Zoltan Halmai and German Emil Rausch became the only two-time winners from Europe.
Diving at the Summer Olympics 1904
Diving competitions were first held at the Olympic Games. Two disciplines were held along with all swimming events on September 5 and 7. A total of ten people participated.
American George Sheldon became the best in the jump from the platform. The silver medal was received by the German Georg Hoffmann.The third place was shared by representatives of both countries, Frank Kehoe and Alfred Braunschweiger. In the long-range jump (“planking”), the competition was held for the first and last time, athletes had to jump from a certain height into the water, then remain motionless for one minute, after which measurements were taken. With a result of 19.05 m, the American William Dickey won, and his compatriots Edgar Adams and Leo Goodwin took the rest of the podium places.
Rocky at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Rocky, the American variety of croquet, was held for the first and last time at the Olympic Games.Four Americans participated. The best was Charles Jacobs, who won the gold medal, the second place was taken by Smith Streeter, who became the silver medal, and Charles Brown, who received the bronze medal, took the third place.
Archery at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Matilda Howell
Archery competitions were held from 19 to 21 September. Competitions were held not in French shooting classes, as in the previous Games, but in American ones.All athletes participating in the competition were from the United States. Also, for the first time women were allowed to compete in this sport, and six athletes competed for three sets of medals.
The men competed in the Double York and Double American Circles. The women’s disciplines were double national and double Colombian circles. Also, there were team disciplines for both sexes. The best male athlete was George Bryant, who won two individual competitions and one bronze medal as part of his team.Among women, the best athlete was Matilda Howell, who won all of her competitions.
Artistic gymnastics at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Gymnastics competitions were held in two stages – first, various all-around events were held on July 1 and 2, and then, on October 28, competitions in individual disciplines.
First, the individual championship, the team championship, the championship in 7 and 9 shells were held. Some were attended by more than 100 athletes.In the second stage, athletes competed on the uneven bars, crossbeams, rings, horse, vault, exercises with clubs and rope climbing. The best athletes were Anton Heida, who became the first five-time Olympic champion in history, and George Eiser, three-time champion and three-time medalist, and he was disabled and had a wooden prosthesis instead of his left leg.
Tennis at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Tennis competitions were held at different times from August 29 to September 5.Women were not allowed to compete and medals were awarded only in men’s singles and doubles. Four athletes became two-time medalists of the Games – Beals Wright, who won both tournaments, Edgar Leonard, doubles champion and individual bronze medalist, Robert Leroy, two-time silver medalist, and millionaire Alfonso Bell, winner of silver and bronze medals.
Weightlifting at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Weightlifting competitions were held from 1 to 3 September.Compared to the 1896 Summer Olympics, the one-arm jerk has been replaced by all-around dumbbells. The two-handed push is preserved in the program.
Only three Americans participated in the all-around. They lifted different weights ten times and scored points for the best result in each attempt. Oscar Osthof became the best, followed by Frederick Winters and Frank Kangler on the podium. In the clean and jerk with two hands, the Greek Pericles Kakusis became the champion, and Osthof and Kangler received silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Fencing at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Fencing competitions were held on September 7 and 8. For the first time, there were team competitions (teams competed on foils) and professionals were not allowed. Also, stick wrestling, which was held at the Games for the first and last time, was taken out into a separate discipline.
The best fencers were Cubans – Ramon Fonst became three times champion, and Albertson Van Zo Post received two gold, two silver and one bronze medals.
Football at the 1904 Summer Olympics
The football competition closed the Olympic Games and took place from November 16 to 23. Two American and one Canadian teams competed. According to the regulations, the teams were supposed to play one match with each other, although due to a zero draw between the US teams, they played another match. Team Canada became the winner of the tournament, while the USA won silver and bronze medals.
Basketball at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Basketball competitions were demonstration and official awards in this sport were not played.Four tournaments have passed. Among the amateur teams, the Buffalo team was the best, among the colleges, the national team of the city of Hiram, Ohio, and the basketball players of New York took the first place in the high and primary schools.
Water polo at the 1904 Summer Olympics
In water polo competitions were indicative and considered unofficial. Only three American teams participated – from New York, St. Louis and Chicago, which competed in the men’s tournament.The best were the water polo players of New York, the second place was taken by the Chicago athletes, and the third by the representatives of the host city.
“Anthropological days” were organized at the Games for third world athletes
Along with the traditional competition at the 1904 Games, there was a highly controversial event known as the “anthropological days.” For two days, the so-called “uncivilized tribes” tried their hand at Olympic sports. The Ainu, Patagonians, Pygmies, Filipinos and Indians competed in traditional Olympic sports such as archery, long jump and javelin throwing, as well as specially prepared competitions such as muddling.The event was presented as a manifestation of the natural athletic ability of the participants. Most of the competition was very low, and anthropological days organizer James Sullivan smugly concluded that the competition had proven the savages’ inability to sport. With this, the organizers of the III Olympiad of 1904 dealt a serious blow to the very principle of the Olympic movement. These “days” became a black spot for the Olympic Games. Pierre de Coubertin sharply opposed the racist trick and made sure that this never happened again at the Olympic Games.
The III Olympic Games in St. Louis in terms of their scale, program and number of participants were significantly inferior to the 1900 Olympics in Paris.
