Great Olympians

Biographies - OSB


Harold M. Osborn

B. 1899-04-13, Butler, Ill, USA; D. 1975-04-05, Los Angeles
Track and Field (2 gold)
1924 1928 HP
High Jump gold fifth 11100
Decathlon gold 6400
17500

He used the Western Roll technique of high jumping, but tried to push the bar in the holders while crossing it. As a consequence, the IAAF changed the rules and the bar is now placed between, rather than in front of the posts.
Osborn would later become a famous doctor, specializing in bone diseases.
A persistent rumour has it he was involved in one of the first Olympic romances, with high jump gold medallist, Ethel Catherwood of Canada, but it is not true they married. Harold married Margaret Bordner in September of 1928 and remained with her till his death in 1975. The story about Ethel Catherwood was a painful one for Margaret throughout her life (she passed away at the age of 97 on 7 July 2003), and we ought to put the record straight.


John Osborn

B. 1945-09-08, represented Great Britain
Sailing (1 gold)
1976 HP
Two Person Multihull (Tornado) gold 8000
8000


Valda Rosemary Osborn

B. 1934-09-17, London, England, Great Britain
Figure Skating
1952 HP
Women's Singles 11th 96
96


Coulter Arthur Anthony Osborne

B. 1934-04-29, Hamilton, Ont., Canada
Basketball
1956 HP
Men's Team 9th 80
80


Frank Osborne

Olympic Competitor nr 4832


Rowan Osborne

B. 1946-09-17, from Edinburgh, Scotland, represented Great Britain
Canoeing - Slalom
1972 HP
Men's Canadian Singles 20th 1.5
1.5


Carl Townsend Osburn

B. 1884-05-05, USA; D. 1966-12-28
Shooting (5 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze)
1912 1920 1924 bonus HP
Free Rifle, 3 positions 17th
4
fourth
1600
6604
Free Rifle, prone silver
5000
Free Rifle, team gold
1600
1600
Military Rifle, 3 positions silver
4000
1400 7000
Military Rifle, 300m, standing gold
1600
Military Rifle, Free position silver
4000
4000
Military Rifle, team gold
1600
1325 3975
Military Rifle, 300m, standing, team silver
250
Military Rifle, 300m, prone, team gold
400
Military Rifle, 300m & 600m, prone, team gold
400
Small-Bore Rifle 13th
25.6
25.6
Small-Bore Rifle, team bronze
640
640
Small-Bore Rifle, Disappearing Target 34th
0.0016
0.0016
Running Deer, single shot, team bronze
640
640
Running Deer, double shot, team fourth
400
400
10269.6016 6890 5000 2725 24884.6016

Olympic Competitor nr 5114


Ruth Osburn

B. 1912-04-24, Shelbyville, MO, USA; D. 1994-01-08
Athletics (1 silver)
1932 HP
Women's Discus Throw silver 6000
6000


Written 2002-10-29 - last modified 2022-11-26

This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.