Alma Richards’s Olympic Leap of Faith Revisited By LARRY R. GERLACH
L. TOM PERRY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
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t is doubtful that Alma Richards or any other 1912 Olympian appreciated the historic significance of the Stockholm Games. The moder n Olympics had begun only sixteen years before in Athens, Greece, and the subsequent three games—Paris 1900, St. Louis 1904, and London 1908—had been plagued by poor participation, organizational problems, and competitive controversies. Stockholm was the first to exhibit the attendance, facilities, and administrative efficiency envisioned for the Olympics, as well as numerous “firsts” that heralded the future success of the Games.1 The V Olympiad also witnessed the finest athletic performances to that point. One of the most remarkable performances came from Alma Richards of Parowan, Utah,
Alma Richards at the high jump competition in Stockholm, July 1912. Here, he displays the determination that would produce the gold medal. He is wearing the official USA team uniform; note the optional leggings.
Larry R. Gerlach is professor emeritus of history at the University of Utah. His recently completed biography of Alma Richards combines his interest in Olympic and Utah history. 1 See Erik Bergvall, ed., The Fifth Olympiad: The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912 (Stockholm: Swedish Olympic Committee, 1912); James E. Sullivan, ed., The Olympic Games: Stockholm 1912 (New York: American Sports Publishing, 1912); Horst Ueberhorst, “Stockholm 1912,” in John E. Findling and Kimberly D. Pelle, eds., Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996), 41–46; “The Olympic Games,” The Outlook, July 27, 1912, 655–56; Will T. Irwin, “The Olympic Games,” Colliers, August 10, 1912, 8–10, 26.
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