The legend of Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing and double Olympic champion in Antwerp
At the Antwerp 1920 Games, Hawaiian champion Duke Kahanamoku became the first swimmer to win the Olympic 100m freestyle twice in a row. This came after his first title eight years earlier in Stockholm. He went on to claim a silver medal in the event at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, and is also known and honoured throughout the world as the man who popularised the sport of surfing.
Duke Kahanamoku was about to celebrate his 30th birthday (he was born on 24 August 1890 in Honolulu, in what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii) when he set out to defend his 100m freestyle title in the “dark, cold and muddy” waters of … More
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“Father of Surfing”, Duke Kahanamoku Wins Olympic Gold – Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games
The Hawaii born, Duke Kahanamoku had won an Olympic gold medal for the first time in the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games. In Antwerp 1920, eight years later, not only did he take his second 100 meters freestyle Olympic gold medal, but also broke his own Olympic record. He still came to win another gold medal in the Antwerp Summer Games with the USA 4x200m Men’s relay team.
“The Duke”, as he was commonly known, later came to win a third Olympic medal in the men’s 4x200m relay in Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games. His Olympic medal record still included two more silver medals from Stockholm in 1912 and Paris in 1924.