Member Login

Our Olympic History

An Unparalleled Story of Success


The NYAC at the Olympic Games - A Golden History


321 OLYMPIC MEDALS - 171 GOLD, 72 SILVER, 78 BRONZE

11 PARALYMPIC MEDALS - 4 GOLD, 3 SILVER, 4 BRONZE

From its earliest days, the NYAC's elite competitiors have reached the pinnacle of Olympic competition. Following the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024, the NYAC's medal tally had reached 321 from the Olympic Games and 11 from the Paralympic Games. Of that number, 174 are Olympic gold and four are Paralympic gold. Added to which, some of the most iconic names in Olympic history have competed wearing the celebrated winged foot emblem: Ray Ewry, Tatyana McFadden, Bruce Baumgartner, Kayla Harrison, Al Oerter - the list goes on. It was the latter who coined the Club's present day motto: "Great things are expected of you when you wear the winged foot." Testimony to that fact are the new pages that are being written in the NYAC's history every day by our elite athletes as they face the world's best in competitions all around the world.

To re-live the NYAC action at the Paris 2024 Games, view the NYAC's exclusive Paris 2024 micro site here.  

NYAC Olympic and Paralympic Medalists

GOLD
·       Valarie Allman: Track and Field (Discus) 
·       Hunter Armstrong, Ryan Held: Swimming (4x100m Freestyle Relay)
·       Tara Davis-Woodhall: Track and Field (Long Jump)
·       Kate Douglass: Swimming (200m Breaststroke, 4x100m Medley)
·       Anni Espar Llaquet (ESP): Water Polo
·       Nic Fink: Swimming (Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay)
·       Sarah Hildebrandt: Wrestling (50kg Freestyle)
·       Nick Mead: Rowing (Men's Four)

SILVER
·       Hunter Armstrong: Swimming (4x100m Medley Relay)
·       Kate Douglass: Swimming (4x100m Freestyle Relay, 200m Individual Medley)
·       Nic Fink: Swimming (100m Breaststroke, 4x100m Medley Relay)
·       Danijela Jackovich (AUS): Water Polo
·       Drew Kibler: Swimming (4x200m Freestyle Relay)
·       Taylor Knibb, Morgan Pearson, Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey: Triathlon (Mixed Relay)
·       Joe Kovacs: Track and Field (Shot Put)
·       Paige Madden: Swimming (4x200m Freestyle Relay)
 
BRONZE
·       Alex Bowen, Hannes Daube, Max Irving, Alex Obert: Water Polo
·       Chris Carlson: Rowing (Men’s Eight)
·       Omari Jones: Boxing (71kg)
·       Paige Madden: Swimming (800m Freestyle)

PARALYMPIC MEDALS
·       Grace Norman: Gold medal, PTS5 Triathlon
·       Hunter Woodhall: Gold medal, T62 400m
·       Tatyana McFadden: Silver medal, T54 100m
·       Tatyana McFadden, Hunter Woodhall: Bronze medal, 4x100m Universal Relay
·       Mikey Brannigan: Bronze medal, T20 1500m
 
GOLD 
·       Valarie Allman: Track and Field (Discus)
·       Rachel Fattal, Kaleigh Gilchrist, Stephania Haralabidis, Ashleigh Johnson, Madeline Musselman, Jamie Neushul, Melissa Seidemann, Maggie Steffens, Alys Williams: Water Polo

SILVER 
·       Adeline Gray: Wrestling (76kg)
·       Katie Zaferes, Taylor Knibb, Morgan Pearson: Triathlon Mixed Relay
·       Joe Kovacs: Track and Field (Shot Put)

BRONZE 
·       Katie Zaferes: Triathlon
·       Vincent Luis (FRA): Triathlon (Mixed Relay)
·       Catie DeLoof: Swimming (4x100m Freestyle Relay)
·       Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (UZB): Wrestling (74kg FS)
·       Sarah Hildebrandt: Wrestling (50kg)
 
PARALYMPIC MEDALS
·       Tatyana McFadden: Gold medal, 4x100m Universal Relay
·       Tatyana McFadden: Silver medal, T54 800m
·       Tatyana McFadden: Bronze medal, T53/54 5000m
GOLD
·       Michelle Carter: Track and Field (Shot Put)
·       Natasha Hastings: Track and Field (4x400m Relay)
·       Jimmy Feigen: Swimming (4x100m Freestyle Relay)
·       Katie Meili: Swimming (4x100m Medley Relay)
·       David Plummer: Swimming (4x100m Medley Relay)
·       Eleanor Logan: Rowing (Women's Eight)
·       Meghan Musnicki: Rowing (Women's Eight)
·       Amanda Polk: Rowing (Women's Eight)
·       Katelin Snyder: Rowing (Women's Eight)
·       Kerry Simmonds: Rowing (Women's Eight)
·       Kayla Harrison: Judo
·       Gwen Jorgensen: Triathlon
·       KK Clark, Kami Craig, Kaleigh GIlchrist, Ashleigh Johnson, Courtney Mathewson, Kiley Neushul, Melissa Seidemann, Maggie Steffens: Water Polo
 
SILVER
·       Travis Stevens: Judo

BRONZE
·       David Plummer: Swimming (100m Backstroke)
·       Katie Meili: Swimming (100m Breaststroke)

PARALYMPIC MEDALS
·       Mikey Brannigan: Gold medal, T20 1500m
 
GOLD
  • Kayla Harrison: Judo
  • Erin Cafaro, Caroline Lind, Caryn Davies, Taylor Ritzel: Rowing (Women's Eight)
  • Tyler McGill: Swimming (4x100m Medley Relay)
  • Betsey Armstrong, Courtney Mathewson, Heather Petri, Kelly Rulon, Jessica Steffens, Lauren Wenger: Water Polo
BRONZE
  • Reese Hoffa: Track and Field (Shot Put)
  • Courtney Hurley, Kelley Hurley, Maya Lawrence: Fencing
  • Megan Kalmoe: Rowing (Quadruple Sculls)
PARALYMPIC MEDALS
  • Myles Porter: Silver medal, 100kg Paralympic Judo
GOLD 
·       Anna Mickelson Cummins: Rowing (Women's Eight)

SILVER
·       Lauren Wenger, Moriah Van Norman, Natalie Golda, Heather Petri, Merrill Moses, Jesse Smith, Layne Beubien, Tony Azevedo, Adam Wright, Rick Merlo: Water Polo

BRONZE 
·       Ronda Rousey: Judo
·       Bryan Volpenhein, Marcus McElheney, Beau Hoopman, Wyatt Allen: Rowing (Men's Eight)
 
GOLD
·       Peter Cipollone, Christian Ahrens, Jason Read, Wyatt Allen, Bryan Volpenhein: Rowing (Men's Eight)

SILVER
·       Blaine Wilson: Gymnastics

BRONZE
·       Jimmy Pedro: Judo
·       Heather Moody, Nicolle Payne, Robin Beauregard, Natalie Golda: Water Polo
 
SILVER
·       Lance Deal: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)

BRONZE
·       Bruce Baumgartner: Freestyle Wrestling (Super Heavyweight)
·       Jimmy Pedro: Judo
 
GOLD
·       Bruce Baumgartner: Freestyle Wrestling (Super Heavyweight)

SILVER
·       Jason Morris: Judo

BRONZE
·       Joseph Greene: Track and Field (Long Jump)
 
SILVER
·       Bruce Baumgartner: Freestyle Wrestling (Super Heavyweight)
 
GOLD
·       Tim Daggett: Gymnastics (Team)
·       Bobby Weaver: Freestyle Wrestling (Light Flyweight)
·       Bruce Baumgartner: Freestyle Wrestling (Super Heavyweight)

SILVER
·       Mike Tully: Track and Field (Pole Vault)
·       Gary Figueroa: Water Polo

BRONZE
·       Tim Daggett: Gymnastics (Pommel Horse)
·       Kevin Still: Rowing (Pair-Oared Shell With Coxswain)
 
BRONZE
·       Peter Korman: Gymnastics (Floor Exercises)
·       Stan Dziedzic: Freestyle Wrestling (Welterweight)
 
SILVER
·       Jay Silvester: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
 
GOLD
  • Al Oerter: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
BRONZE
  • Tom Farrell: Track and Field (800m)
GOLD
·  Al Oerter: Track and Field (Discus Throw)

SILVER
·  Frank Gorman: Springboard Diving
 
GOLD
·       Doug Blubaugh: Freestyle Wrestling (Welterweight)
·       Al Oerter: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
GOLD
·       Robert Clotworthy: Springboard Diving
·       Thomas Courtney: Track and Field (800m, 4x400m Relay)
·       Al Oerter: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
 
GOLD 
·       Horace Ashenfelter: Track and Field (3000m Steeplechase)
·       Charles Moore: Track and Field (400m Hurdles)
·       Lindy Remigino: Track and Field (100m, 4x100m Relay)

SILVER 
·       Charles Moore: Track and Field (4x400m Relay)

BRONZE
·       James Fuchs: Track and Field (Shot Put)
·       Robert Clotworthy: Springboard Diving
 
GOLD 
·       Ray Lumpp: Basketball

BRONZE 
·       James Fuchs: Track and Field (Shot Put)
·       Leland Merrill: Freestyle Wrestling (Welterweight)
·       James Flynn: Fencing (Sabre Team)
 
SILVER 
·       Eddie O'Brien: Track and Field (4x400m Relay)

BRONZE 
·       Daniel Barrow: Rowing (Single Scull)
 
GOLD 
·  John Anderson: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
·  Leo Sexton: Track and Field (Shot Put)

SILVER 
·  Percy Beard: Track and Field (110m Hurdles)

BRONZE 
·  Peter Zaremba: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·  Joseph McCluskey: Track and Field (3000m Steeplechase)
·  Dernell Every: Fencing (Foil Team)
·  Frank Righeimer: Fencing (Foil Team), Fencing (Epee Team)
·  Curtis Shears: Fencing (Epee Team)
·  Richard Mayo: Modern Pentathlon
 
GOLD 
·       Raymond Barbuti: Track and Field (400m, 4x400m Relay)
·       James Quinn: Track and Field (4x100m Relay)
·       Osvald Kapp: Freestyle Wrestling (Lightweight)
·       Edward Hamm: Track and Field (Long Jump)
·       Alberto Zorilla: Swimming (400m Freestyle)
·       George Kovac: Swimming (100m Backstroke, 4x200m Freestyle Relay)

 
SILVER
·       Ben Hedges: Track and Field (High Jump)

BRONZE
·       John Collier: Track and Field (110m Hurdles)
 
GOLD 
·       Allan Helffrich: Track and Field (4x400m Relay)
·       Francis Hunter: Tennis (Doubles)
·       Frank Hussey: Track and Field (4x100m Relay)
·       Vincent Richards: Tennis (Doubles, Singles)
·       Jackson Scholtz: Track and Field (200m)
·       William Silkworth: Trap (Clay Pigeon) Shooting Team
·       William Stevenson: Track and Field (4x400m Relay)
·       Francis Hunter: Tennis (Doubles)
 
SILVER
·       Vincent Richards: Tennis (Mixed Doubles)
·       Leroy Brown: Track and Field (High Jump)
·       Jackson Scholtz: Track and Field (100m)
·       Matt McGrath: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·       Eino Leino: Freestyle Wrestling (Welterweight)

BRONZE 
·       Herbert Vollmer: Water Polo
 
GOLD 
·       Ivan Dresser: Track and Field (3000m Team Race)
·       Karl Frederick: Free Pistol
·       Eino Leino: Freestyle Wrestling (Middleweight)
·       L. C. Murchison: Track and Field (4x100m Relay)
·       Patrick McDonald: Track and Field (56lb Weight Throw)
·       Richmond Landon: Track and Field (High Jump)
·       Jackson Scholtz: Track and Field (4x100m Relay)
·       Fred Plum: Trap (Clay Pigeon) Shooting Team
·       Frank Loomis: Track and Field (400m Hurdles)
 
SILVER
·       Joseph Pearman: Track and Field (10k Walk)
·       Nathan Pendleton: Freestyle Wrestling (Super Heavyweight)

BRONZE 
·       Arthur Lyon: Fencing (Foil Team)
·       Louis Balbach: Springboard Diving
·       Alfred P. Lane: Free Pistol
·       Fred Murray: Track and Field (110m Hurdles)
 
GOLD 
·       Platt Adams: Track and Field (Standing High Jump)
·       Harry Babcock: Track and Field (Pole Vault)
·       Matt McGrath: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·       J. E. Meredith: Track and Field (800m, 4x400m Relay)
·       Charles Reidpath: Track and Field (400m, 4x400m Relay)
·       Alfred P. Lane: Rapid Fire Pistol, Free Pistol, Military Revolver Team (50m)
·       William Bowman: Fencing
·       Charles Billinger: Trap (Clay Pigeon) Shooting Team
·       Ralph Spotts: Trap (Clay Pigeon) Shooting Team
·       Frank Hall: Trap (Clay Pigeon) Shooting Team
·       Pat McDonald: Track and Field (Shot Put)
 
SILVER 
·       Platt Adams: Track and Field (Standing Long Jump)
·       James Wendell: Track and Field (110m Hurdles)
·       Pat McDonald: Track and Field (Shot Put - Both Hands)
·       Ben Adams: Track and Field (Standing High Jump)

BRONZE 
·       Ben Adams: Track and Field (Standing Long Jump)
·       C. C. Childs: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
 
GOLD 
·  Charles Bacon: 400m Hurdles
·  Charles Daniels: 100m Freestyle
·  Ray Ewry: Standing High Jump, Standing Long Jump
·  John Flanagan: Hammer Throw
·  Jay Gould: Jeu De Paume (Court Tennis)

SILVER 
·  Harry Hillman: 400m Hurdles
·  Matt McGrath: Hammer Throw
·  J. A. Rector: 100m
 
BRONZE
·  John Eisele: 3000m Steeplechase
·  Charles Daniels: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
·  Leo "Budd" Goodwin: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
GOLD
·  Charles Daniels: Swimming (100m Freestyle)
·  Ray Ewry: Track and Field (Standing High Jump, Standing Long Jump)
·  Paul Pilgrim: Track and Field (400m, 800m)

SILVER
·  Fay Moulton: Track and Field (100m)
 
GOLD
·       David Bratton: Water Polo
·       David Hesser: Water Polo
·       Charles Daniels: Swimming (200yd Relay, 220yd Freestyle, 440yd Freestyle)
·       William Dickey: Diving - Plunge For Distance
·       Ray Ewry: Track and Field (Standing High Jump, Standing Long Jump, Standing Triple Jump)
·       John Flanagan: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·       Leo "Budd" Goodwin: Swimming (200yd Relay), Water Polo
·       Louis Handley: Swimming (200yd Relay), Water Polo
·       Harry Hillman: Track and Field (400m, 200m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles)
·       Marcus Hurley: 440yd Cycling, 880yd Cycling, One Mile Cycling, One-Third Mile Cycling
·       Samuel Jones: Track and Field (Running High Jump)
·       David Munson: Track and Field (Four Mile Team Race)
·       Arthur Newton: Track and Field (Four Mile Team Race)
·       Paul Pilgrim: Track and Field (Four Mile Team Race)
·       Joseph Ruddy: 4x50yd Relay (Swimming), Water Polo
·       James Steen: Water Polo
·       George Underwood: Track and Field (Four Mile Team Race)
·       Howard Valentine: Track and Field (Four Mile Team Race)
·       George Van Cleaf: Water Polo
 
SILVER 
·       Edgar Adams: Plunge For Distance
·       David Munson: Track and Field (1 Mile Run)
·       John Dewitt: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·       George Underwood: Track and Field (440yd Hurdles)
·       H. R. Warren: Swimming (1 Mile Handicap)
·       Howard Valentine: Track and Field (800m Run)
·       Charles Daniels: Swimming (100yds Freestyle)
·       John Flanagan: Track and Field (56lb Weight Throw)
·       Francis Gailey: Swimming (220yds Freestyle)

BRONZE
·       Leo "Budd" Goodwin: Plunge For Distance
·       Louis Handley: Swimming (880yd Swim)
·       Charles Daniels: Swimming (50yds Freestyle)
·       Otto Wahle: Swimming (440 Yd Swim, 1500m Freestyle)
·       James Mitchell: Track and Field (Hammer Throw, 56lb Weight Throw)
·       Arthur Newton: Track and Field (3000m Steeplechase, Marathon)
·       E. J. Feuerbach: Track and Field (16lb Shot Put)
·       R. S. Stangland: Track and Field (Running Long Jump)
·       Marcus Hurley: Two Mile Cycling
 
GOLD 
·       Irving Baxter: Track and Field (Running High Jump, Pole Vault)
·       Ray Ewry: Track and Field (Standing High Jump, Standing Long Jump, Standing Triple Jump)
·       John Flanagan: Track and Field (Hammer Throw)
·       Richard Sheldon: Track and Field (16lb Shot Put)
·       George W. Orton: Track and Field (2500m Steeplechase)
·       Maxwell Long: Track and Field (400m)
·       Alvin Kraenzlein: Track and Field (60m, 100m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles, Running Long Jump)

SILVER 
·       Irving Baxter: Track and Field (Standing Triple Jump, Standing Long Jump, Standing High Jump)
·       Otto Wahle: Swimming (1000m Freestyle Swim), Obstacle Race

 
BRONZE 
·       Richard Sheldon: Track and Field (Discus Throw)
·       Lewis Sheldon: Track and Field (Standing High Jump, Two Steps & Jump)
·       Fay Moulton: Track and Field (60m Run)
GOLD
·       Thomas Burke: Track and Field (100m, 400m)
 


1885

One year prior to the staging of the first modern Olympic Games, the NYAC defeats the supposedly invincible London AC in all 11 events at a dual track and field meet in New York. Among the stars of the show is Bernie Wefers who wins the 100 yards and is dubbed the “world’s fastest human.”


1896

The 100m at the first modern Olympic Games is won by NYAC member, Thomas Burke. Burke was a resident of Boston and also competed for the celebrated Boston Athletic Association.


1900

Ray Ewry claims his first Olympic gold medal. Between 1900 and 1908, Ewry wins 10 gold medals in four Olympic Games (1900 in Paris, 1904 in St. Louis, 1906 at the Intercalated Games in Athens, and in 1908 in London.


1912

The ship carrying the US team to the Stockholm Olympic Games is chartered by NYAC President, Colonel Robert M. Thompson. Club Olympians repaid Thompson by taking 15 gold medals, including the hammer throw, won by the legendary Matt McGrath.


1924

Jackson Scholz, later immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire, wins the gold medal in the 200m at the Olympic Games in Paris. Tennis gold medals are won by Vinnie Richards in singles and Richards and Frank Hunter in doubles.

1948

At the “austerity” Olympic Games in London – the first Olympic Games after World War II – the US Basketball team, with Ray Lumpp among its members, wins the gold medal. Lumpp goes on to become Athletic Director of the NYAC. Also competing at those games were subsequent club members, Herb Douglas (bronze medal in the long jump) and Wanja Illic (fifth in the 4x200 freestyle relay competing for Yugoslavia).


1952

At the Olympic Games in Helsinki – Lindy Remigino, Charlie Moore and Horace Ashenfelter win gold medals in the 100m, 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase respectively. Ashenfelter’s time of 8:45.4 is a new world record.


1956

NYAC Member, Al Oerter, begins to carve his legendary status by claiming the first of his four Olympic gold medals in the discuss throw. Oerter also wins that event in 1960, 1964 and 1968, becoming the first man in history to win the same event at four consecutive Olympic Games.


1983

Eamonn Coghlan, the NYAC celebrated Irish miler, claims the 5000m gold medal at the inaugural World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki Finland. Earlier that year, Coghlan had become the first man in history to run a sub 3:50 mile indoors. In 1994, Coghlan became the first man in history over the age of 40 to run a sub-four minute mile. He was 41.


1984

Bruce Baumgartner takes a wrestling gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the Los Angles Olympic Games, the first of four medals Baumgartner will win in four Olympic Games. He was subsequently names the greatest US wrestler of the 20th Century and in 2008, was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.


1992

At the Barcelona Olympic Games, Jason Morris takes the silver medal in the 81kg division.

1996

Lance Deal wins a hammer throw silver medal with his last attempt and Jimmy Pedro wins a judo bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games. In 1999, Pedro becomes world judo champion, before adding a second Olympic bronze in 2004. He goes on to become one of the greatest coaches in US Judo history.


2004

NYAC members claim 11 medals at the Olympic Games in Athens, an excellent return from the disappointment of having won no medals in Sydney in 2000.


2008

The NYAC wins 16 meals at the Beijing Olympic Games, among them a judo bronze by Ronda Rousey, who goes on to become a mixed martial arts icon and Hollywood film star.


2012

The NYAC wins 17 Olympic medals at the London Games, its highest tally since the Stockholm Games of 1912. Kayla Harrison becomes the first American in history – male or female – to win an Olympic judo gold medal, a feat she repeats in 2016, having overcome a potentially career-ending knee injury. Harrison follows Ronda Rousey into the world of mixed martial arts.


2014

Meb Keflezighi wins the 118th Boston Marathon, becoming the first American male winner since 1983. His victory is especially meaningful, coming one year after the Boston Marathon bombing. In 2004, Meb had won an Olympic marathon Silver medal and in 2009, had won the New York City marathon.


2016

The NYAC wins 23 medals (21 of them being Gold) at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, exceeding the tally from London. In addition, Mikey Brannigan becomes the first NYAC gold medalist at the Paralympic Games, winning the T20 1500m.


2020

Delayed for one year due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, nonetheless, continued the NYAC's tradition of success at the highest level of competition. NYAC athletes claimed 20 Olympic and three Paralympic medals, highlighted by Valarie Allman's gold in the women's discus, the dominance of the US women's water polo team - with nine NYAC players on the roster - and Tatyana McFadden's full set of Paralympic medals, gold, silver and bronze. 


2024

By most measures, these were the NYAC's most successful Games in history, with Club athletes securing 30 Olympic and six Paralympic medals. One would have to look back to the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis to find a comparable medal haul, though many sports in those Games were more inter-club than international. Highlights in Paris were Valarie Allman's second consecutive discus gold, Kate Douglass' four medals in the swimming pool (two gold, two silver), and the golden couple, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, who both struck gold, Tara in the Olympic long jump and Hunter in the Paralympics T62 400m.