Frank Foss (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Frank Kent Foss was an American
athlete who competed in the men's pole vault
. He competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics
and won gold
, beating Danish
pole vaulter Henry Petersen
. Foss set a world record in winning the event with a height of 4.09 meters, or approximately 13 feet, 5 and 1/8 inches. After clinching the victory with a height of 13 feet, 3 and 5/6 inches, he made the new record height on his third attempt.
Foss graduated from Cornell University
in 1917, where he was also a member of the Quill and Dagger
society.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Hinsdale, Illinois
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete who competed in the men's pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
. He competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
and won gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
, beating Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
pole vaulter Henry Petersen
Henry Petersen
Henry Petersen was a Danish athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault.He competed for Denmark in the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium in the pole vault where he won the silver medal behind the gold medal winner Frank Foss....
. Foss set a world record in winning the event with a height of 4.09 meters, or approximately 13 feet, 5 and 1/8 inches. After clinching the victory with a height of 13 feet, 3 and 5/6 inches, he made the new record height on his third attempt.
Foss graduated from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1917, where he was also a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
.