Diary traces U.S. javelin thrower's historic path to Olympic glory in 1924
The stands in the stadium on the outskirts of Paris were packed with fans.
The stands in the stadium on the outskirts of Paris were packed with fans. The excitement was building.
But the strapping 22-year-old American who picked up his javelin and prepared to make history had no problem tuning out the crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Colombes.
Eugene Oberst at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.Archives CNOSF / AFP via Getty ImagesEugene Oberst had played football for the legendary Knute Rockne at Notre Dame before he began chasing Olympic glory.
“Almost 40,000 people were in attendance, but crowds never affect me when I am in competition, so I did not pay any attention to them,” Oberst wrote in the journal he kept while competing in the 1924 Olympics.
Instead, Oberst got into the zone.
Rating: 5