1908 Silver Medal Awarded To Henry Leaf For Performance In Racquets

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Raleigh_DeGeer_Amyx]Raleigh DeGeer Amyx
Since the time of ancient Greece, men (and later, women) competed in feats of human strength, races, and competitions of all kinds. Many of the sports we enjoy have their origin in Greco-Roman games that go back centuries. There are few world-renowned achievements that mark a person's abilities as outstanding and special than a medal won at the Summer Olympic Games or Winter Olympic Games. The United States in particular is a high achiever in these games, pulling in more medals over the course of Olympic history than most other nations.
Some of the medals are of particular historical significance, carrying great value. One mint condition 1908 Silver medal (30mm), presented in London, England, at the IV Olympiad, has been located and acquired by a private collector in the United States. Interestingly, the sport for which the medal was awarded was Racquets. This instance of the game was the first and only time in which it was sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.). Any elite athlete competing in this event almost always competed in Olympic Tennis as well. Such was the case for the winner and once owner of this particular medal, Henry Leaf of Great Britain. And that was the case with the elite winner of this prized Olympic medal, one Henry Leaf of Great Britain. Not only is this particular silver medal in near mint condition, but the presentation case also accompanies it. Ebony in color, it is impressively embossed in a striking gilt trim. Currently this 1908 Silver Medal, along with the presentation case, is in the hands of a private collector in the United States, along with many other medals from numerous Olympic games.
Interestingly, a major controversy was afoot in the 1908 Olympics. Heated arguments arose among the American delegations and British delegations. United States, Team Management, accused the host nation-in this case the British-of partiality in judging. Upon further investigations, the I.O.C. agreed with the accusations, after which major changes to the games were ordered. For the very first time and from this point forward, Official judges chosen to judge events would be used continuously, even if they were from competing nations.
Another contentious issue was that some men had for years resisted equality in sports for women. Various competitive women continuously and persistently insisted, alongside only a few men, that they be allowed to compete. Eventually the IOC consented, and as a result many women have achieved great notoriety and accomplishment through the Olympic games.
Raleigh DeGeer Amyx is an [http://www.americanheritage1.com]American history collector. For Well More Than a Quarter Century, Collecting and Preserving History have been Raleigh DeGeer Amyx's Sole Endeavor. He is the owner and curator of the Raleigh Degeer Amyx Collection.
Because of the Reputation of The Amyx Collection, and Mr. Amyx's Knowledge, gained from First Hand Stories and Interviews with former White House Employees, he has been sought out by Authors, Private Non-Profit Entities, Presidential Libraries and by The White House and The Smithsonian Institution for Consultation. The Raleigh DeGeer Amyx Collection is an [http://www.americanheritage1.com]American history collection and is one of the largest collections of its kind in the world.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?1908-Silver-Medal-Awarded-To-Henry-Leaf-For-Performance-In-Racquets&id=6416349] 1908 Silver Medal Awarded To Henry Leaf For Performance In Racquets