Frank Kriz
Personal information
Full nameFrank Josef Kriz
Country representedUnited States
Born(1894-03-26)March 26, 1894
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 11, 1955(1955-01-11) (aged 60)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Height172 cm (5 ft 8 in)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
GymBohemian Gymnastic Association
Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's artistic gymnastics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 0
Total 1 0 0
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1924 ParisVault

Frank Josef Kriz (March 26, 1894 – January 11, 1955) was an American gymnast and Olympic champion.[1] A member of the New York Sokol and the Bohemian Gymnastic Association, he competed in the 1920, 1924, and 1928 Summer Olympics.[2] In 1924, he received a gold medal in vault.[3] In 1922 and 1924, he won the Amateur Athletic Union national gymnastics title.[4][5] In 1959, he was one of the initial inductees to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.[6]

As a gymnast, Kriz was a member of the Bohemian Gymnastic Association.[7] He worked as a fireman for Hook and Ladder 154 of the New York City Fire Department and required leave to participate in the Olympics.[8] He received special approval, along with Bob McAllister, to make the trip to compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics.[8]

Kriz was the very first U.S. gymnast, male or female, to win a medal of any sort at a Summer Olympic Games or World Championships on foreign soil, and would remain the only one to win any medal at those such games on foreign soil for nearly half a century until Cathy Rigby won a silver on balance beam at the 1970 World Championships in Ljubljana and Peter Kormann won a bronze medal on floor exercise at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympic Games.

References

  1. ↑ "Frank Kriz". Olympedia. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sokol New York History". Archived from the original on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  3. ↑ "1924 Summer Olympics – Paris, France – Gymnastics" Archived 2007-08-19 at the Wayback Machine databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on March 26, 2008)
  4. ↑ New York Times, Kriz Wins National Gymnastics Title, April 22, 1922
  5. ↑ "Frank Kriz Biography and Olympic Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2009-03-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ "Two Title Holders Beaten in Amateur Gymnastic Tourney". New-York Tribune. November 24, 1921. p. 17. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "M'Allister and Kriz Olympic Starters". Brooklyn Daily Times. July 14, 1928. p. 5. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
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