Gold-medal UChicagoans: The University's history at the Olympic Games

At this year’s Olympic Games, the University of Chicago was able to celebrate the successes of alumni John Jayne, AB’19, and Jesse Ssengonzi, AB’24, in men’s judo and men’s swimming, respectively. But did you know that a century ago—in the same city of Paris, France—UChicago had athletes win gold?

Read more about UChicago’s recent and past Olympians in the profiles below:

2024:

• John Jayne, AB’19, former College wrestler for the Maroons, made his first Olympics for Team USA, competing in the men’s 90kg judo competition. The #32-ranked Jayne pulled off an upset against ninth-ranked Christian Parlati of Italy in his first match before falling late in the Round of 16 versus Korea’s Juyeop Han. “My emotions at that second match were a bit heartbreaking, but as I was walking off the mat, I thought, ‘Well, I got to live the dream here, compete at the Olympics, got to win at the highest level, and not everyone gets to live their dream like that,” Jayne said in an interview with UChicago News. “I reminded myself how grateful I should be for this opportunity, to be able to do something I love so much."

• Jesse Ssengonzi, AB’24, a three-time NCAA Division III swimming champion, qualified for his first Olympic Games, representing his parents’ home country of Uganda in the men’s 100-meter butterfly. Ssengonzi took second in his prelim heat, broke his own personal record and set a new Ugandan national record, and became the highest-placing Ugandan swimmer at the Games in the country’s history, taking 31st overall. “I am very proud to represent my country, my family, and my heritage well. To go a best time on the highest stage is all I could ask for,” Ssengonzi said.

2020:

• Liza Merenzon, AB’23, served as an alternate for Team USA on the women’s rhythmic gymnastics team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which was held in 2021 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although she was not able to compete due to an injury, she was part of the team that qualified for the Games and ended up finishing 11th place, a record finish for Team USA.

2016:

• Naomy Grand’Pierre, AB’19, became the first woman to represent Haiti as a swimmer by competing at the 2016 Olympic Games, which was held that year in Rio de Janeiro. She finished 56th in the women’s 50-meter freestyle event with a time of 27.46 seconds. Her sister, Emillie Grand’Pierre (2020 Tokyo), and brother, Alex Grand’Pierre (2024 Paris), later joined her in representing Haiti in the Games.

• Ben Collins, MBA’16, competed for Team USA’s Paralympic Team in para-cycling at the Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, taking 11th in the Tandem B Road Race and 12th in the Tandem B Time Trial events.

1972:

• Gene Clapp, MBA’74, won a silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich, Germany, as part of the US National men’s eight rowing team. The team was later inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame.

• Edward ‘Ted’ Haydon, LAB’29, PhB’33, AM’54, the legendary University of Chicago track and field coach who coached at his alma mater from 1950 until his death in 1985, also served as a coach for the U.S. Olympic Teams of 1968 and 1972.  Haydon founded the University of Chicago Track Club in 1952, which produced Olympians Rick Wohlhuter (distance runner), Brian Oldfield (shot put) and Jan Johnson (pole vault). 

1962:

• Edward ‘Ted’ Haydon, LAB’29, PhB’33, AM’54, served as a coach for the U.S. Olympic Teams of 1968 and 1972. See full entry in 1972.

1948:

• Erwin ‘Bud’ Beyer led the University of Chicago’s gymnastics team as captain from 1936 to 1938, and though he never competed as an athlete at the Games, he coached the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team in the 1948 Olympics held in London, England.

1924:

• Ethel Lackie, LAB’1924, competed at the Games in Paris at just 17 years old, taking home gold medals in the women’s 100-meter freestyle and as a member of the 4x100 relay team. Lackie set numerous U.S. and world records and was the first woman to break 60 seconds for the 100-yard freestyle and the first to clock 1:10.0 for the 100-meter freestyle, which led to her induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

• Harry Freida, PhB’1925, ran for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team at the Games held in Paris, placing eight in the decathlon. While at UChicago, he also won a national championship in the javelin and was awarded a Western Conference medal.

1908: 

• Ned Merriam, AB’1908, competed in the 400-meter dash in the Games held in London, England. As a member of the University’s track team, he won three Big Ten championships in the same event. He returned to the University and coached for 21 years, from 1929-50.

1906*:

• Hugo Friend, AB’1906, JD’1908, took home a bronze medal in the long jump in the Games held in Athens, Greece. A year before, he led the UChicago track and field team as captain to capture the Maroons’ first Big Ten Conference title. Later, he became famous as the Cook County judge in the Chicago Black Sox trial, famously smiling at the acquittal of eight players from the team accused of intentionally throwing the 1919 Major League Baseball World Series.

• James Lightbody, AB’1907, won a gold (1,500-meter run) and a silver (800) at the 1906 Olympic Games after winning four medals two years before (see 1904).

• *Today, the International Committee does not consider the 1906 Intercalated Olympics to be the official Olympic Games and does not count the medals earned in its official records, though historians credit the event held off-cycle in Athens, Greece, for helping save the Olympic Movement.  

   

1904:

• James Lightbody, AB’1907, won four Olympic medals at the St. Louis Games—three golds (steeplechase, 800, 1,500) and silver (four-mile relay)—for the U.S. men’s track and field team, setting a world record in the 1,500-meter run.

• Mark Catlin, AB’1905, a two-sport star at UChicago, was a gold medalist in track and field in the low hurdle event at the 1904 Olympic Games. An All-American end on the football team under the famed Amos Alonzo Stagg, Catlin was credited with the game-winning safety in UChicago's 2-0 win over Michigan on Thanksgiving Day, 1905.