Bobsled Career
As driver of the first five-man U.S. Bobsled team to win the Olympics, Fiske became the youngest gold medalist in any winter sport (until eclipsed by Toni Nieminen in 1992), aged just 16 years at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. His American team-mates were Geoffrey Mason, Nion Tucker, Clifford Grey and Richard Parke.
Fiske competed again at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, USA, where he was given the honour of carrying the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony. The format of the race was altered to a four-man team, but again Fiske and his team-mates, Clifford Grey, Eddie Eagan, and Jay O'Brien took gold.
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's bobsleigh | ||
| Competitor for the United States | ||
| Gold | 1928 St. Moritz | Five-man |
| Gold | 1932 Lake Placid | Four-man |
Fiske was invited, but declined to lead the bobsled team in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. It is believed by some that this decision was due to his disagreeing with the politics in Germany at the time, which may also explain his later decision to join the War-effort in 1940.
Fiske was also a Cresta Champion, and was well known for jumps from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel's bar chandelier in St. Moritz.
Read more about this topic: Billy Fiske
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